A recent study revealed that the most common type of construction accident kills one out of every three construction workers: falling. More than three-quarters of fatal construction accidents occur due to falling from ladders, floorboards, or holes. Another 9.4% of fatal construction accidents involve falling objects that hit the worker. These objects can either roll or swing and kill the worker, or they can be caught between two objects. Moving equipment or heavy equipment are other common causes of construction workers’ deaths.
Fall accidents are among the most common causes of construction worker deaths. Fall hazards can include falling objects, unprotected roof edges, and poorly constructed scaffolding. Unprotected trenches are another common source of fall hazards. Proper training and safety equipment are necessary to avoid falling accidents. Employers must provide guards on moving equipment to prevent workers from getting caught in between objects. Construction sites must also provide safe working conditions, including access to protective equipment and proper lighting.
Occupational safety and health administration or OSHA keeps records of workplace deaths and injuries. According to the most recent statistics available, a construction worker dies every six days. The rate of scaffolding injuries in the United States increased from nine to fourteen days per week in 2016.
Electricity is also another source of fatal construction accidents. Working around powerful electrical currents can lead to injuries such as electrocution, shocks, fires, and explosions. One of OSHA’s Fatal Four specifically refers to electrocution, where a construction worker contacts an overhead power line. The other types of accidents that cause fatalities are electrocution, falls, and electrical shock. As the third most common type of construction accident, electricity can lead to fatalities.
The most common type of construction accident kills workers in the U.S. Approximately 60 percent of work-related deaths occur as a result of four common types of incidents: falls, electrocutions, being struck by an object, and being trapped between two objects. These four types of accidents are responsible for about 60 percent of all construction accident deaths, which is more than a worker dies every six minutes.
The third most common type of construction accident kills workers: electrocution. Electrocution causes an array of injuries from cardiac arrest to burns. Regardless of the type of construction accident, many safety issues contribute to the fatality rate of construction workers. Electrocutions, as the name suggests, can occur in hazardous situations and are caused by inadequate lockout …