The safety education company eTrain Today used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics to compile a list of the most deadly jobs in the nation. The findings were significant for workers in several industries, including the construction industry. The data showed four major causes of construction worker deaths, as well as commonly violated OSHA standards that led to injury or death. According to the 2010 data, the most dangerous jobs, whether in or out of the construction industry, were those that involved extensive driving.
The top causes of worker deaths at construction sites were as follows:
- Falls
- Electrocutions
- Struck by moving objects
- Caught in between situations
Falls from ladders were the most common type of fatal fall. The study found that eliminating just those four types of accidents would save more than 400 construction worker’s lives every year.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study also showed that, in 2011, the OSHA standards that were most frequently violated were those involving scaffolding and fall protection in the construction industry. With falls accounting for 260 deaths in 2010, improvements in that area could have a large impact on worker safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently renewed its partnership with the National Safety Council in attempting to address fall prevention in the construction industry.
Construction workers face numerous injury risks on the job. Employers and safety groups could save countless workers from serious injury or death by taking steps to address transportation safety and the risk of falls at construction sites.
Source: Huffington Post, “The Deadliest Jobs In America,” by Drew Guarini, 22 August 2012