Data published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) shows that at least 20% of all fatalities that occur on the job happen at construction sites. This makes this field one of the more dangerous ones for someone to work in. There are some trends as to where and when these accidents are most apt to occur.
Statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that construction workers that are employed by smaller companies are the ones that are most apt to die in workplace accidents. CDC data shows that as many as 50% of all fatal construction site accidents involve individuals who are either self-employed or who work for construction companies that employ 10 or fewer workers.
Industry analysts suggest that the reason why these smaller firms have so many fatal accidents is because they fail to enforce necessarily safety protocols. Those same individuals suggest that workers for these smaller companies aren’t given the right equipment or training necessary to keep them safe.
That same CDC data shows that the leading cause of construction worker deaths is falling. At least 51% of fatal falls that happen in workplaces every year happen in this industry.
Many industry analysts believe that the reason why construction workers are so vulnerable to fatal falls is because they’re not given adequate fall prevention training. This is critically important since many construction workers spend the bulk of their day climbing on or off machinery and standing atop of scaffolding.
Construction workers don’t only face a significant risk of dying on the job. They are vulnerable to getting seriously hurt as well. OSHA’s research shows that construction workers have a 10% annual injury risk. Although this percentage seems small, it isn’t. It’s a staggering 71% higher than that which workers in many other industries face.
Many dangers exist at Hayward building sites. Fall risk is only one of those. An attorney may advise you of your right to sue your California employer for damages if you were injured on the job due to a lack of training, access to safety equipment, improper equipment maintenance or some other type of negligence.
