Doing the same thing again and again is pretty boring. Even if it is something that you like, you get tired doing it day in and day out. I think I am not alone in this boat, slowly cruising towards insanity. I will have many for company, fellow travellers around the globe. Everyone should take a break and move away from everything, even if it is just for a day. One day should be spent doing things that you love – a day where you have no responsibilities and get to exist like a carefree soul!

As a Sydneysider, I have plenty of options right in and around my beautiful city. Asking my friends for their suggestions ranged from the usual day at the spa with all the treatments, a relaxing Sydney Harbour lunch cruise, getting lost in the nearby Blue Mountains and the like. I was slightly tempted with the idea of a Sydney Harbour cruise as I wanted to experience what Jack felt in Titanic. Stand on the bow, take in the aroma of the sea and scream at the top of my lungs “I am king of the world”! But on second thought, doing the same on the harbour would be like eating at Dominos and wishing for an authentic Italian experience. Also, the tourists at Sydney Harbour and cruise passengers might complain, cutting short my ‘me day’ cruise. I might even make the next day news, “Hysterical man removed from Sydney Harbour cruise vessel!”

Also with the harbour bustling with noisy tourists, I decided to drop the cruise plans. Not being an outdoorsy person, the trek at Blue Mountains was also swiftly dropped. But, the Blue Mountain view there which I saw online, gave new direction to my quest in search of the perfect ‘me day’. My search morphed into looking for a place with the best view in Sydney or close by. A few clicks on the web and I found my view, right here in the middle of the city, at the Sydney Tower.

Standing more than a thousand feet above the ground, I was able to get a commanding view of the city in all directions. Seeing everything so small – cars, vessels on the water, the crowd enjoying the Sydney harbour views and cruises, all made me realise the insignificance of life. You start to think less of yourself and notice things that you never keenly observed before, like the blue of the sky, cloud patterns, the deep and vast sea. All these lend perspective to your life, making you think of the big picture, making your problems in life seem so much smaller.

Now I have a new mantra to keep me going in life, “When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.”

Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory (MI Theory) (2006) states that human beings have different combinations of intelligences. This pluralistic approach is an alternative vision to the traditional notion that intelligence can be objectively measured and reduced to a single number, the IQ. The first intelligence tests carried out at the beginning of the twentieth century, which focused on verbal abilities, were developed by the French psychologist Alfred Binet and his colleagues in Paris. The motivation of their research was to respond to a request from the authorities to create a measure to predict which students were likely to need special attention in schooling. These early empirical experiments introduced the concept of intelligence as a quantifiable measure. Above all, the notion of intelligence as a single number has finally corroborated the one-dimensional view of the mind.

There are educational implications of this theory. Gardner points out that the IQ idea generated a corresponding view of school which he calls as the “uniform view”. This uniform view is responsible for a core curriculum – a set of things that everyone should know (critical reading and calculation, for example). So, the brightest students can go to the better colleges. Following these narrow standards, thousands of young people will never have a chance to flower. But can intelligence be a single construct? And besides, is this fair with the immense human potential? From Gardner’s idea of multifaceted intelligences emerges the concept of an individual-centered school. This vision sounds like Rorty’s understanding that persons should be educated as individuals. In the sphere of public education, every child should have an individualized education program. In a word, Gardner and Rorty show that the main problems in schools today lay on these issues of policy. We know now that all students need special attention in school. The authorities must understand that an individualized education is not just for students with special needs.

We have two attitudes toward mind. The traditional one which was considered as a scientific turn at the time. And the pluralistic view which in fact broadens the scope of human possibilities. The eight intelligences suggested by Gardner are: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. Recall that IQ test is based only on linguistic and logical-mathematical abilities. Both research and theory indicate that multiple student-level factors account for the variance in student achievement. Recent theories on the contextualization of intelligence say that the intellectual potential will depend on the culture in which the person happens to live. Life experiences are very important. It seems that the idea of mind as a single construct has been slowly fading.

The new comprehension of the intelligence is based on a radically different view of the mind. It gradually became clear that this theory yields a very different view of school. In all this we feel a remarkable respect for the differences among people, the varied ways that they learn.

Work cited

Howard Gardner. Multiple Intelligences. New Horizons (New York: Basic Books, 2006), 4-5.

Point of View in Fantasy Fiction

If you want readers to keep reading your book, point of view must be carefully considered. It is especially important in fantasy fiction writing. Why? The point of view from which you choose to tell your story sets the overall tone for the book. It gives the reader a vantage point from which to view the entire story as it unfolds.

Choose the wrong point of view and the reader may feel like they are missing out on something, or that they are not connecting with the book’s characters. Flop around between different points of views and the reader will become confused.

At this point, you’ve lost them in the first few pages.

There are simply too many fantasy fiction books out there. Self-published books now account for 75% of the overall market. According to Bowker.com-the world’s leading provider of bibliographic information and management solutions-self-published titles have grown 287% since 2006, resulting in a whopping 250,00 new print and e-titles in 2012. What was once a cottage industry is now the norm.

What does this mean to you? Well, it means you better make sure you have all your ducks in a row, and that your writing is the absolute best it can be to compete. There are a lot of things to consider, and I’ll be discussing this in future articles. For now, let’s begin by discussing the three most popular points of view: first person, third person omniscient, and third person limited.

First Person Point of View

Writing in the first person point of view is limiting. It does not allow the reader to truly “see” the world; it only allows them to be “told” what the world looks like through the recitation of the book’s main character. Does something seem fishy? It should. Remember what all your writing instructors and teachers have told you about show-don’t-tell?

It’s still effective, but after a while it starts to sound like a weather report.

Example:

I looked down the dark dungeon hall. The elf stood beside me. I was scared, but I didn’t want to let him now.

“What do you think that is?” I asked. I heard something breathing.

The elf looked at me and frowned. “I don’t know,” he said.

Don’t let this completely dissuade you. Sometimes, using the first person point of view can work, and work very well. But if you choose only to use this point of view, you will severely limit the reader experience.

When R. A. Salvatore first sat down to tell the tale of a dark elf known as Drizzt Do’Urden, he admittedly struggled with point of view selection. In the initial stories, Drizzt was alone, so using the first person point of view seemed to make sense. But Salvatore soon realized he would not be able to tell the important back story of the dark world of the elves, especially the historical moments that occurred before Drizzt was even born.

Salvatore decided to use both first person and third person limited point of view to tell the story. In this manner, he was able to explore the old heritage of the Underdark, and still show exactly what Drizzt was thinking. He did this by writing the novel in third person limited, but prefacing each chapter with first person journal entries from Drizzt.

Third Person Limited Point of View

Third person limited point of view is when the reader knows only the thoughts and feelings of a single character. The reader is limited to seeing and experiencing the world only through this character.

When I wrote Deomans of Faerel, this is the point of view I chose to use. The third person limited pointof view creates what is known as “distance” in the story. It pulls the reader away to a vantage point that allows them to ride along with the character as if they have become that character. It is arguably the best narrative form to choose when writing fantasy fiction. It also allows you create tension by using dialogue to more appropriately interact.

Example:

Gnoli peered down the dark dungeon hall. The elf moved up beside him, his bow outstretched, hands shaking.

“Ye hear that breathing?” the dwarf asked in a shaking voice. He glanced at his companion, struggling to keep fear from showing on his rugged face. “What do ye think that is?”

The elf frowned and slowly shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said.

Not a whole lot different than first person. But we start to feel what is happening rather than be told. This subtle act creates a powerful sensation for the reader. They are not only there, they are experiencing things as if they are watching a movie, instead of nightly news cast.

Switching Third Person Limited Points of View

The extra benefit to using third person limited point of view is that the writer gets to place the reader inside the heads of more than one character, if they so choose. This works very well to tell different plot lines, and can actually create empathy for villains, which is something you need. (Who wants a villain you can totally hate?)

Using third person limited also allows you to develop other characters, which is great if your fantasy book contains more than one hero. Many do. Using third person limited, the writer is able to flesh out more than one character, creating solid connections. Readers begin to care about the characters: they feel their pains, they experience their anguishes and desires, the root for them and wish them no harm.

When to Switch

If you want to use third person limited to explore storylines of other characters, just make sure you have a clear breaking point in the writing. This works best between chapters. Tell the story through the eyes of one character in the first chapter, then switch to another character in chapter two.

Carefully Switch Point of View

Just be aware of time. When you switch from one character to another, be aware of what the other characters are doing. Is Jack in a boat in the morning in the first chapter? Does he experience something that takes all day, and then it becomes night? If so, when you start the next chapter, you better make sure what happens occurs after the previous night’s events.

Third Person Omniscient

Lastly, let’s talk about third person omniscient. The third person omniscient point of view is a narrative form in which the reader knows all the thoughts, desires and wishes of every single character. In fantasy fiction, this takes away much of the surprise. Using this point of view, you can actually write an entire novel without ever using any dialogue.

Example:

Gnoli peered down the dark dungeon hall. The elf moved up beside him, his bow outstretched, hands shaking. The dwarf heard something breathing down the hall. He wondered what it was, but he tried to keep the fear from his face. The elf had no idea what was down there, and he said so. The dragon down the hall, however, waited patiently for them to approach. Once they came within range, he was going to gobble them up!

See how it’s just kind of… flat? And talk about a spoiler alert! In the previous two examples, we had no idea what the monster was, or what its intentions were. Now we know everything.

This is an extreme example, of course. But when the narrator is just telling you everything that is happening, and all the thoughts and feelings of every single character, including the monsters, the story becomes less interesting.

Beware of Head Jumping

Whichever point of view you choose to employ for your fantasy novel, just make sure you properly block your paragraphs, and what you reveal. If the first chapter is all told from the point of view of Jack, then you can’t include any thoughts from the other characters. Jack may suspect they are thinking certain things, but he can’t know this.

have had the privilege of visiting Pakistan many times, mostly it was in connection with my official work. I must admit that I was always treated with great respect and I had the occasion of befriending many officers of the Pakistan army. These were always friendly talks but it gave me an insight into the Pakistani mind.

After discussion with my Pakistani friends, I was able to get an insight into what Pakistan thinks about India. We should not dismiss their thoughts and opinions as if they are of no consequence. It is vital to understand their psyche and the hurt they feel. Yes, some of it is true. I will briefly summarise the thoughts of the Pakistanis vis a vis India.

Firstly, many Pakistanis say that till 1943 there was no talk of Pakistan. The talk for Pakistan commenced only after Gandhi and Nehru in a devious manner stopped the installation of Mohammad Ali Jinnah as the Prime Minister of India( this is corroborated by Leonard Moseley in his book “The last days of the Raj”) In addition, the failure to give constitutional guarantees to Muslim minority by both Gandhi and Nehru sowed the seeds of Pakistan. Generally, in Pakistan, this is cited as an example of discrimination against Muslims.

Secondly, during the 1971 crisis, India actively intervened in Bangladesh to break up Pakistan into two parts( I am afraid this is true). They say the Mukti Bahni on its own could not kill even a chicken. Yet Indian Army officers and soldiers were operating deep inside East Bengal in the guise of Mukti Bahini. When you are crying hoarse that Pakistani supported terrorists are operating in the Kashmir is really meaningless.The fact remains that the country which first started operations inside the territory of Pakistan was India when it sent soldiers inside East Pakistan disguised as Mukti Bahini to attack the Pakistan army and their soldiers at every opportunity.

It was India as per many Pakistani which opened the Pandora’s box of cross-border terrorism. Pakistan also feels that it is India which is killing innocent Kashmiri youth and labeling all the killed Kashmiri youth as terrorists coming from Pakistan. This is a total lie. Pakistani also feel Indians are not sincere and they are consumed by hatred of Pakistan and Muslims in particular.

Pakistani view Narendra Modi as a murderer, as a man who got hundreds of Muslims killed during the 2003 riots in Gujarat. I have heard Bilal Bhutto talking on TV and saying that the perception of Pakistan about Modi is that he has blood on his hands. The feeling in Pakistan is that India and particular the RSS have not reconciled to the creation of Pakistan.

Pakistanis point out that Sikh’s and Hindus live in peace in Pakistan and are protected by constitutional rights. They point out that article 9 of the Pakistan constitution gives guarantees the religious minorities, right to life and property. As per them in India, no such constitutional guarantee exists for Muslims with the result that Hindu Muslim riots are frequent phenomena.

As things stand, I do not think there will be peace with Pakistan because Pakistani want to avenge the creation of East Pakistan. They say their country was broken by India and they will not rest till they pay back India in the same coin.

The old saying that to get a feel of the enemy one must get into his shoes. This is important and it is clear that we DID create Bangladesh and broke Pak into two. How will they forget that?

Spicejet is a low cost airline with its headquarters based in New Delhi. This highly effective and proficient airline. The airline is India’s latest start up personal airline promoted by Sanjay Malhotra along with the Kansangra family. This particular airline was previously recognized as Royal Airways but now with enhanced working procedures and efficient management abilities Spicejet has already managed to acquire considerable growth and success within a short period of time. Now contends well with the Indian Railways passengers who might be interested in travelling in AC coaches. This evidently demonstrates elevated growth and effectual Spicejet booking procedures which are very simple and hassle free.

When the airline started its business Spicejet booking was fixed at 99 INR for the primary 99 days and gradually increased to 999 INR as its marketing promotion intensified on choosy sectors. This strategy eventually brought significant growth and success in terms of elevated sales and reputation of the company. This is not the end of Spicejet promotional strategies as the airline offers daily low cost fares for cost conscious passengers. The business also does extremely well by selling their tickets through online booking procedures and other associated travel partners.

You can easily acquire Spicejet booking from any of their connected travel partners especially the “make my trip” travel partner. Their services are very adequate with strong focus on delivering exceptional and error free services to every passenger. The airline offers many other attractive packages like flight and hotel deals along with international holidays. If you want to book your air ticket along with hotel stay then you will be able to save 30-40% of your cash which is very beneficial for several passengers all over the world. You can easily have access to other attractive packages of Spicejet from anywhere in the world. This type of specific deal is valid for all the major tourist destinations as well as metros.

However, in order to have access to several advantageous packages you need to book your air tickets as well as your hotel stay well in advance. This will clearly enhance your overall stay and journey without any complications. The manifold advantages and benefits of effective Spicejet booking clearly has an upper hand when compared with other low cost airlines operating in India. Their thorough professionalism and honest service has become a trademark in their overall working procedures.

Point of view one is of the fiction writer’s most powerful techniques. Writing from your character’s POV means that you get inside the main character’s head, heart and gut –literally see the world through the character’s perspective. So, for example, when you are in the “bad guy’s” POV, be true to that POV. An excellent example of this is Crime and Punishment where Raskolnikov thrusts an ax into his landlady’s head. Thus begins one of the greatest novel ever written. Did Dostoevsky have to put an ax into anyone’s head to write this? Clearly not. And neither do you. But Dostoevsky needed to experience Raskolnikov’s physical journey as a murderer as well as his emotional journey from darkness to redemption.

William Faulkner wrote: “… the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself… alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the sweat and the agony.”

Faulkner has given us a tough assignment, yet it is an assignment at which we much excel as fiction writers. The best way to succeed at this is to leave behind what you believe to be “true” and open yourself to the vast possibility of life experiences outside your own. For it is not true that we can only write what we experience. As writers, we access the imagination, that cosmic place where everything is possible and the great expanse of human emotions resides.

One of the best ways to experience the power of point of view is to write an emotionally strong scene between two people who, when they tell their story, have very different versions of the experience. For example, write a fight between two people, perhaps a mother and a daughter or a father and a son. A fight has built in tension, which makes the scene easier to write. You also have opportunity to use dialogue – when people fight, they usually have a lot say! Begin by asking yourself what is the issue between the mother and daughter (or father and son, or any two people). First write the scene from the daughter’s point of view. This means you get inside only the daughter’s head. The reader can hear what the mother says and see how she acts, but cannot know her thoughts. This exercise brings you totally inside the daughter. The only inner thoughts you use belong to the daughter.

Then put the daughter’s story aside and write the scene from the mother’s point of view. You need not have the exact same dialogue and almost certainly the story will be very different from the mother’s point of view. This time around, you show the reader only the mother’s inner thoughts. The daughter speaks and acts but we do not know her motivations other than by what she says and does.

This is a great eye opener of an exercise geared to deepening your understanding of the writer’s technique of point of view. It also encourages dialogue. Even if you’ve never written dialogue, give it a try. I’ve worked with a lot of people who think they can’t write dialogue — only because they’ve never tried. The truth is everyone can write dialogue! So can you!

Valley View Oak offers 45 collections of dining room furniture and so provides you with an amazingly wide choice. The company was instituted in 1989 in Millersburg, Ohio, and each piece is hand-crafted from American hardwoods by Amish and Mennonite craftsmen. The secret of their high quality and ability to customize your dining room furniture to your needs lies in the fact that each piece is hand-made just for you.

Each of the 45 ‘collections’ is based upon what has been made in the past for other clients. While you can select a collection as presented, you can also mix pieces from different collections to meet your needs. The collections cover a wide range of dining room furniture styles, ranging from the simplicity of Shaker and early American styles to the cyma legs of the French to the ornate heavy Victorian styles of furniture.

Valley View Oak Options

Each piece is made from hardwood with total of 22 different finishes to choose from, so you are sure to be able to find something to match your existing décor. You have the option of four table top shapes, including an octagonal table which is a great way to seat eight people at a dinner party. Add to that five styles of table leg and a pedestal option, and you will not leave Valley View Oak feeling you were limited for choice!

You can choose the base of your chairs according to your preference: you can choose the regular four legs, a swivel bar stool base or a 5-star caster base. Most go for the normal four legs for their dining room, but select one of the options for their bar or den. Your tables can be fitted with hidden extension leafs or store-away leafs together with a leaf-store cabinet for those larger dinner parties.

Dining Room Furniture Construction

The construction of each item of furniture is carried out using the correct wood jointing methods. Thus:

• Mortise and tenon joints are used for rails.

• All four corners of each drawer are connected using dovetails joints.

• English dovetails are used for maximum strength.

• Cabinet backs are flush mounted and fixed with screws rather than pins or staples.

• Raised panel doors are fitted with metal spacing balls to enable expansion and contraction to take place without the usual rattling and cracking of the wood.

• Tables with legs rather than pedestals are fitted with screwed interlocking wood corner blocks to strengthen the structure.

• Table edges are sealed to prevent them from loosening.

• Varnishes are cured by means of catalysts for maximum durability.

Hutches and Cabinets

A variety of hutches and wall cabinets are available, including a dining room corner hutch and a dining server. It is also possible to have your own hutch or cabinet constructed to your personal specifications. Simply call Valley View Oak and find out how to have each individual piece of your furniture designed and built for you.

There are 28 styles of server, buffet and sideboard, ranging from the ornate cabriole Queen Anne style to a simple Shaker mission server. You can also choose from 69 hutches in the ‘standard’ range. 16 of these are corner hutches to make best use of that corner in your room that normally just collects dust. The other 53 offer you a massive choice of display cabinets and buffets, some in the form of hutches designed to sit on top of the buffets and sideboards.

Review Summary

The entire selection of furniture available looks absolutely stunning and solid – there is something about hand-made furniture that looks different from its factory-produced equivalents. Hand-finished wood has a glow and solidity to it that cannot be achieved in any other way.

You see this in Valley Forge dining room furniture, and there is no excuse not to find something to suit your dining room. If nothing is suitable in the collections displayed, then you can have them modified to meet your exact requirements.

The Valley View Oak furniture company provides you with a literally unlimited choice of solid oak dining room furniture. Those that craft it are men who spend their time on the farm or working with wood to produce these beautiful pieces. If there is one thing you can be sure about with the Amish and Mennonites, they craft solid furniture that lasts. We could find no fault.

A View in the Mirror

I am the way that I am… and you are only you.

There never has nor never will be any others like us two.

Many things that’s we’ve been told,

They really hardly matter;

They serve to hurt or separate, or lie or slightly flatter.

Useless groups that people join

And dearly pay the price;

Some are only cheaters and some are not quite nice.

Your race or nationality,

Your age or height or gender;

Whether you eat red meat

Or put veggies in a blender…

It doesn’t really matter, it’s all a silly game;

We’re all two-legged animals and rather much the same.

We all behave the way we do for many different reasons;

And that behavior seldom changes,

As constant as the seasons.

Hold a mirror to your face and tell me what you see;

You see yourself, that’s all there is.

When I look… I see me.

We can not be what we are not,

Through someone else’s eyes;

To view another through our own mirror, is seldom very wise.

I accept who I am and I know that I’m not you;

No more than you can expect to see…

Me, through your own view.

That’s why manipulation and fear are often used;

To force someone to be another… serves only to abuse.

“Why must you be so different…

Why can’t you be like me?!”

“Because I’m not… I am my self,

And my self is what I shall be!”

The Friendly Giant

Where does the friendly giant hide

In this land of thoughtless pygmies?

Where does Santa land his sleigh

In a land of “gimme, gimme”?

Where does a bee seek nectar

In a land of artificial flowers?

How can one lead a stable life

In a land of shifting hours?

Where can a ray of sunshine fall

In a room where shades are drawn?

Where can a thoughtful person thrive

In a land so filled with brawn?

Where does the artist’s eye find beauty

In a land now ugly and bland?

Where does the fish find a stream to swim

In a land of arid sand?

Where does a man find honesty

In a land where nothing is fair?

Where does a tree grow tall and green

In a land of poisoned air?

Where does the pioneer travel

In lands where the borders are closed?

Where does the minstrel sing his songs

in a land where deafness grows?

Where does the craftsman sell his skill

In a land of dubious wares?

Where does the poet write the tender lines

In a land where no one cares?

Where does a child learn to laugh

In a land of frowns and sorrows?

Where does the star man spin his tales

In a land where there’s no tomorrow?

Where does the giant hang his head

In despair and utter sadness?

He lives in a land that knows no joy

And has chosen instead, sheer madness.

Construction sites are considered the most potentially hazardous and accident-prone parts of any working environment. Excessive exposure to these construction site hazards exposes workers to injury and possible death. To prevent this, a company should know how to identify and be aware of all possible dangers that can be encountered during normal business operations. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) wants every employee to have sound knowledge of their susceptibility to harm or injury in the workplace.

Listed below are the top six construction site hazards identified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):

1. Electrical- Electricity is one of the greatest hazards to people either at home or at work. Power line workers, electricians and electrical engineers work continuously with electricity and can face exposure to this hazard on a daily basis. At the construction site, the best way to prevent this kind of hazard is for the power line workers to be a safe working distance away from the power lines. Other precautionary measures includes guarding and insulating of the vehicle from which they might work. This would help prevent electrical hazards from injuring them while working.
2. Excavation and Trenching – OSHA has recognized excavation and trenching as the most hazardous construction site operation. From the year 2000 to 2006, the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics (USBLS) recorded 271 worker fatalities in trenching and cave-ins. These hazards are preventable yet injuries related to these hazards are still happening. Both employer and employee must follow safety standards and use protective equipment to minimize hazards while trenching and excavating.
3. Falls – Falling from scaffolding over six feet or a fixed ladder over twenty feet is the most dangerous and common construction site hazard. Falling from high places such as a ladder, scaffolding and roofs account for more than fifty percent of the accidents that happen at the workplace. The usual cause of this incident is slipping, tripping and using unstable ladders. There are thousands of reasons for fall hazards and to eliminate such risks, employers must have a fall protection program as part of any overall workplace safety and health program. Workers should be trained to identify and evaluate fall hazards and be fully aware of how to control exposure to such risks as well as know how to use fall protection equipment properly.
4. Stairways and Ladder – According to OSHA’s construction safety and health standards, stairways and ladders are major sources of injuries and fatalities among construction workers. These recorded injuries are serious enough to put a worker out on sick leave. OSHA registered approximately 24,882 injuries and 36 fatalities yearly that are related to falling from stairways and ladders used at the construction site. To prevent such accidents and injuries, employers and employee must comply with OSHA’s general rule for the safe use of ladders and stairways.
5. Scaffolding – Every year, approximately 60 workers die by falling from scaffolding; one out of five construction site falls are fatal. The most potential risk of scaffolding is due to moving scaffold components; scaffold failure related to damage to its components; loss of the load; being struck by suspended materials; electrical shock; and improper set-up. Construction workers who assemble and dismantle scaffolding and work platforms at construction sites face the risk of serious injuries due to falls. The scaffolding hazard is addressed by stated OSHA standards. They give specific requirements for the maximum load, when to use scaffolding, bracing and the use of guardrails.
6. Heavy Construction Equipment – Approximately 100 construction site workers die each year due to heavy construction equipment. The main causes of such accidents includes: ground workers struck when a vehicle is backing up or changing direction; equipment rollovers that injure the operator; mechanics run over when brakes are not properly set; and ground workers crushed by falling equipment from backhoes, buckets, and other moving construction vehicles. To prevent this kind of risk, workers should follow all construction safety guidelines necessary to eliminate the exposure to such injuries and accidents.

Safety risks on construction site are unavoidable; however, these can be prevented if workers are instructed on how to identify the hazards that might be present at the work-site. The employer must establish proper safety standards that meet the maximum requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This will ensure that workers will have a safe working environment during normal operation.

This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of construction site risks; however, these top six items are certainly important ones that all construction site employers should be aware of and continually working to eliminate them from happening.