Working on a New York construction site is risky, and construction workers are more prone to injury than workers in many other industries. Falls, in particular, present a substantial injury and fatality risk for today’s construction workers, with slips, trips and falls contributing to more than a third of all construction industry fatalities.
Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than a fifth of all workplace deaths in 2020 involved construction workers. Many construction workers who survive their falls suffer serious fall-related injuries.
How often construction workers suffer fall-related injuries
Research shows that construction workers suffer fall-related injuries at a rate of 31.4 per every 10,000 construction workers working full-time. Comparatively, workers within the private sector, in general, suffer an injury in a fall at a rate of 21.7 per every 10,000 employees working full-time.
What types of falls are causing injuries
The majority of construction workers who suffer injuries in falls do so after falling to a lower level. This includes falls from one floor to a different floor or the ground. It also includes falls from scaffolds and platforms. Other construction worker injuries were the result of falls on the same level, or slips and trips without falls.
How to enhance safety
Many fall-related injuries suffered by construction workers result from similar circumstances, such as workers having a lack of adequate fall protection. In addition to using the right fall protection gear, construction workers must be sure to use the right equipment for the jobs they perform. This includes using the right ladder for a particular job to prevent ladder falls and using harnesses when working from heights.
Construction workers may want to speak with their employers about what else they might do on the construction site to protect themselves from fall-related injuries.