Many worker safety hazards exist when working on a bridge. One of the most common and obvious is the problem of heights. While employers are supposed to provide as safe a work environment as possible, there's always the potential for accidents, many of which can become fatal because of the height of the bridge. Another common issue, especially when working with older painted bridges, is exposure to toxins from chipped lead paint.
The age of a bridge can be a potential safety hazard. No bridge can be made to last forever; even with regular maintenance some older bridges become dangerous. Many old bridges that do not receive regular maintenance might eventually be closed down. If a bridge was made at a time when horses were the main transportation, then that very old bridge might not be strong enough to deal with constant automobile traffic. The older the bridge, the more likely it is to fail at some point.
A major safety hazard on bridges for drivers is bad weather. As with any road surface, a bridge will be hazardous when there is a lot of snow, sleet, rain, ice or even wind. Because a bridge is often very high up in the air, there is a major possibility that any car that goes off the bridge will lead to a fatal accident. For this reason, drivers should always be cautious when crossing a bridge during bad weather.
