Statistics Reveal Dangers Associated with the Construction Industry
It is well known that the construction industry is one of the most dangerous fields in which to work in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 215 construction laborers were killed in workplace accidents in 2013. If you add in electrical engineers, power line installers and roofers, that number jumps to 311.
However, the dangers extend beyond just these numbers. The following are a few more statistics about injuries and deaths in the construction industry that might surprise you:
- According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), approximately 10 percent of all construction workers will be injured on the job every year.
- If a construction worker stays in the industry for 45 years, he or she has a one in 200 chance of dying in a work-related accident.
- Falls are the most common cause of fatal accidents in the construction industry. About 39 percent of them are falls from roofs, with 33 percent being falls from scaffolding. Surprisingly, about 27 percent of fatal falls are from heights of 10 feet or less.
- Despite how common falls are at construction sites, a lack of appropriate fall protection is the most common OSHA standard violation.
- Texas alone had 105 construction-related deaths in 2012, by far the most of any state.
- The construction industry is ranked second in the country for total number of fatal accidents suffered by workers under the age of 18.
- Approximately 60 percent of all construction accidents happen within the worker’s first year on the job.
- Approximately 20 percent of all workplace deaths between 2002 and 2012 involved workers in the construction industry.