How Often Are Construction Workers Injured by Falls?

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The construction season is underway. With the economy slowly improving, more businesses may decide that now is the right time to start expanding their operations. Construction of new buildings can have jobsites filled with several types of different kinds of workers. While safety is usually a high priority, it is not uncommon for construction accidents to happen.

Unfortunately, when an accident does occur, the result is often tragic, especially when it involves a fall. Whether a building is simply a one-story office or a multi-story high-rise, workers need to take precautionary measures to help insure their safety.

Falls Are the Most Common Type of Fatal Construction Accident

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the government agency responsible for creating rules to protect workers, has prepared materials for use in the construction industry that highlight the danger of falls for workers.

Falls accounted for 264 of the 774 fatalities that happened in the construction industry during 2010. Over 10,000 additional workers suffered injuries as a result of a fall.

OSHA wants employers and employees to be aware of the potential dangers. Besides falling to a lower level, either off of a roof or scaffolding, employees may fall into holes at the ground level. Jobsites must be set up in a way that prevents these sorts of accidents from happening.

The agency requires that harnesses or safety nets be used in situations where workers will be performing their tasks above ground. Employers must also be sure to put up railings or guardrails that will alert workers to locations where extra caution must be exercised.

While most construction is under serious time constraints, it is important to take steps to prevent accidents. Injured workers may be eligible to file for workers’ compensation benefits, but this is only after an accident happens. Putting the right plan in place can help reduce the number of people killed by falls every year.

Each year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases a reminder to construction workers concerning the dangers of falls on the job site. Whether working on a residential building or skyscraper, falls can lead to very serious injuries for workers. A recent construction accident also stresses the dangers of falls for Pennsylvania construction workers while working on roadways and bridges.

The accident happened on a major construction project on an interstate highway located in another state. Work was being performed on an overpass that went over some railroad tracks. The overpass was some 60 feet above the tracks. The worker fell into a gap between the lanes of traffic, and fell to his death while working at night.

Officials are still investigating the accident to learn what may have contributed to the worker falling. Safety procedures that were in use at the job site will also be examined to determine if all proper precautions were being followed.

Quite often, these massive projects will be under intense deadlines. Workers might feel pressured to complete these tasks as soon as possible, meaning that safety takes a backseat to a quick completion of the project.

OSHA recommends that workers who will be performing tasks where falls may result wear harnesses, or construct guardrails around fall-prone locations. If working at night, employers need to be sure that adequate lighting is present in order to allow for proper visibility.

Workers should take some time to identify potentially hazardous areas at their job site. Always be sure to follow safety procedures, as an accident can happen at any time. By being prepared, it might help to lessen some of the injuries that might occur.

Fall Risk is Much Higher for Residential Construction Workers

A new study found that falls from roofs were the most common type of fall for construction workers in the U.S., with one-third of all fall-related fatal construction accidents being attributed to falls from roofs. The study reported that construction workers most at risk for roof falls were those that worked for small companies, residential construction workers and Hispanic and immigrant workers.

The main findings of the study showed that 34 percent of all construction falls were from roofs in residential construction sites despite the fact that residential construction sites only made up 18 percent of workplace fatalities in the construction industry. The study reported that smaller construction companies that had 10 employers or fewer were more likely to have a worker injured or killed due to a roof fall compared to larger companies.

The increased risk of falling from roofs was highlighted by the finding that Hispanic construction workers accounted for roughly 35 percent of all fatal falls from roofs in the construction industry. The study also found that foreign-born workers had an increased risk of fatally falling from roofs while working compared to all other workers.

The findings show that smaller companies are not properly training their workers or providing them with fall protection equipment. The researchers concluded that workers in the roofing industry are much more likely to be involved in a fatal workplace injury compared to other construction workers. They said that OHSA and construction companies need to be aware of the falls risks for workers in the residential construction sector to try and improve safety awareness as well as create prevention programs to reduce the high number of fatal injuries caused by falls.

Fall Protection Remains the Top Safety Violation

Falls remain one of most common workplace accidents in the state and throughout the country, with three of the top five workplace violations reported by OSHA involving accidents caused by working at dangerous heights.

The top workplace safety violations in 2012 were fall protection, hazard communication, scaffolding protection, respiratory protecting and ladder safety standards, according to OSHA.

In 2012, already 20,441 safety violation citations have been attributed to these types of safety issues. The final top ten list of safety violations in 2012 will be published in the December issue of Safety + Health magazine.

Employers are responsible for adhering to workplace safety standards set in place by OSHA. As falls continue to be one of most common causes of workplace injuries and fatalities, it is important for workers to be aware of unsafe work areas.

OSHA currently requires employers to provide working conditions that are not dangerous, keep floors clean and dry, provide free personal protective equipment, and train workers about safety hazards in the workplace.

Employers can also take additional steps to prevent fall accidents and injuries, which include:

  • Placing guard rails and toe-boards around elevated openings and floor holes
  • Providing guard rails and toe-boards when workers may be at risk for falling into or onto machines or equipment
  • Providing safety harnesses, safety nets and stair railings for workers for at-risk job

Workers who have been injured due to safety violations or an unsafe work environment can file a workers’ compensation claim in Pennsylvania. A workers’ compensation attorney can help injured workers throughout the claim process and ensure they receive proper compensation for their injuries.

Construction Falls Can be Prevented With Proper Safety Equipment

To address the risks construction workers face everyday, the construction industry has been trying to find ways to keep workers from being injured or killed in falls from heights and other workplace accidents.

A new study may be able to keep workers in the construction industry safer and reduce the risk of being injured on the job. The study found that current fall protection solutions used in the construction industry can effectively prevent falls.

The research showed that three different types of fall protection devices can prevent falls and fatal injuries to construction workers. The three different solutions are protection for floor coverings, personal fall arrest anchorage and temporary walking surfaces. All of these devices can prevent workers from being injured in falls from heights as long as the construction workers receive minimal training on how to use the safety devices.

The researchers noted that it takes some time for workers to learn how to use the fall protection equipment but it can significantly reduce the risk of being injured or killed in a fall accident. Many construction companies may not want to take the time to purchase and train workers on how to use the fall protection equipment. Not having proper fall protection equipment and training puts construction workers at risk for being injured or killed.

Because not all employers will take the appropriate steps to keep workers safe, workers should be aware of the safety equipment that can prevent injuries and accidents and take steps to make sure everyone is aware of the safety steps to take to prevent accidents from happening in the workplace.

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