Construction Law

OSHA’s Worksite Fatality Statistics

Sometimes we must look at the cold hard facts. Unfortunately, the construction industry is among the private industry leaders in on-the-job fatalities. If you are an employer and your construction worksite has experienced any worksite accidents, including resulting in the loss of life of an employee, our OSHA defense lawyers are here to offer you any legal counsel you may need. If you are not in need of an OSHA lawyer at this time, it is still important to educate yourself on potential worksite hazards that could result in serious accidents, including death.

Although the overall number of worksite deaths has dropped significantly over the last forty plus years, we need to continue to do our best to improve this trend by practicing the best safety prevention methods to prevent construction site accidents of any kind.

The Construction Industry’s High Death Rate

Worksite fatalities are of paramount concern for jobsites. Understanding the numbers behind these tragic workplace situations is of extreme importance as well. According to the official OSHA website, in a 2015 study, it was reported that 4,836 workers were killed on the job over the course of the calendar year. Unfortunately, construction jobsites accounted for over 20 percent of those casualties resulting in the loss of life of 937 workers in construction-related accidents.

OSHA’s “Fatal Four”

The “Fatal Four”, as OSHA has labeled them, refers to the four leading causes of private sector worker fatalities in the construction industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), these four types of worker-related deaths account for approximately 64 percent of worksite fatalities. According to BLS, preventing the “Fatal Four” would save approximately 602 workers’ lives in America each year resulting in approximately two saved lives each day on jobsites.

What Are the Four Causes?

Nearly 40 percent of all construction industry deaths occur when workers fall. As we have covered in previous articles, falling deaths are the leading cause of construction site loss of life by a considerably large margin. Consolidating the other three most prevalent causes together, approximately 25 percent of work-related deaths occur when workers are either struck by an object, electrocuted, or caught-in/between.

Understanding the common perils of the construction industry and how to prevent each of the four leading causes of fatality from transpiring at your workplace will help create a safer work environment for your jobsite.

If you would like to speak with an OSHA lawyer, please contact us at 813.579.3278, or submit our contact request form.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.