Advise & Consult, Inc. | September 25, 2015
Construction is an inherently a dangerous occupation and construction injuries are going to happen despite increased awareness and OSHA requirements and penalties. During the 2013 year, there were 4,585 deaths on the job with 828 of those deaths from the construction industry, which is just over an average of 2 construction related deaths per day. The Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) list four top causes, the “Fatal Four”, of construction deaths, which accounted for more than half of the deaths in 2013.
- Falls are by the far the most common cause of death on construction sites. In 2013, 302 deaths, or 36.5% of all deaths related to falling from floors, roofs, and platforms. This has been an increased focus with a number of fall protection requirements being mandated on construction sites in recent years.
- Being struck by an object (struck-by) accounted for 84, or 10.1% of construction related deaths in 2013. The majority of struck-by fatalities involved heavy equipment, trucks and/or cranes. Struck-by fatalities would also include being hit by a flying object falling, being thrown or being propelled by a power tool, machinery or equipment.
- Electrocutions numbered 71, or 8.6% of construction site deaths in 2013. Common electrical hazards would include overhead powerlines, defective tools and/or machinery, improperly installed outlets and wiring as well as carelessly working on “live” wires.
- Being caught in or between resulted in 21 or 2.5% construction deaths in 2013. Some of the most common occurrences of being caught in or between involve getting caught in machinery, being caught between two pieces of machinery and/or walls, a result of a trench collapse, and as a result of scaffolding collapsing.
Construction will always be dangerous regardless of the provisions implemented on construction sites and it is easy to sit in my chair at my computer and tell construction workers to slow down and use common sense when on the job site to at least slow down construction injuries. If you are involved in a construction injury or are aware of unsafe construction conditions that could result in injury or death, please contact an expert witness or OSHA and a lawyer to assist you. OSHA has set up whistle-blower procedures to help prevent work related injuries and deaths, and it could be your own life you are saving.