Horse play does not have a place on the construction site.

All of us like to have fun, but when horse play gets started on the job it usually ends up with someone getting injured, and none of us really wants that to happen. Practical jokes and those who initiate them are not wanted.

For example, take the foreman who knew-that one of his employees was extremely sensitive to loud noise. One day he sneaked up on the employee and set off a pack of fire crackers, and the sudden loud noise surprised and shocked the employee. The end result of this ‘joke’, which was not funny; a workers compensation claim was filed and the employee was out of work for some time before recovering.

Sometimes horse play goes even further. A worker decides to play a trick on another worker by taking off or changing the position of a safety device on a power tool. Something like this is not only stupid but extremely dangerous and could cause an accident with serious injuries.

Practical jokers should be banned from all construction sites. If you see any kind of horse play taking place stop it at once. Let the other person know that you don’t like it, and if it continues you will notify your supervisor to put a stop to it. You should also remind the jokester that if the prank results in an injury or death, they are subject to prosecution possible imprisonment.

Be a safe worker. Check your work area for hazards, inspect your tools before use, set a good example, follow the rules and never be the person that horses around. Remember, if a prank backfires and someone is injured, it’s no joke!

Never participate in horse play on the job. At home, caution your children to prevent their injury.