CONSTRUCTION SITE ACCIDENTS

 

The next time you drive past, or walk beneath a construction site, you may want to keep in mind this description of the construction industry from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, the federal agency known as OSHA.

“Construction is a high hazard industry that comprises a wide range of activities involving construction, alteration, and/or repair. Construction workers engage in many activities that may expose them to serious hazards, such as falling from rooftops, unguarded machinery, being struck by heavy construction equipment, electrocutions, silica dust, and asbestos.”

Statistics from OSHA can paint a grim picture. Overall, including the construction business, according to OSHA.gov

“5,333 workers died on the job in 2019 (3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers) — on average, more than 100 a week or about 15 deaths every day.” 

As for construction workers included in those figures, “About 20% (1,061) of worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2019 were in construction—accounting for one in five worker deaths for the year.”

If you’re a construction worker and you’re injured on the job, you need an experienced attorney to advocate for your rights under the law and secure a fair settlement while holding those at fault accountable. The law firm of Phillips & Millman, at 845-947-1100 and pmlawny.com, can help. 

“When someone is injured in an automobile accident, on the job, in their home or in a healthcare facility, the results can be physically and emotionally devastating for that person and their family,” reads pmlawny.com. “Phillips & Millman’s experienced lawyers help injured people in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to obtain the compensation they deserve and need. Our veteran team gives every client personal attention while aggressively pursuing each case to its best possible conclusion.”

The attorneys at Phillips & Millman look beyond the evidence at hand and never lose sight of the big picture. 

According to a 2019 website article from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

 

  • The National Fire Protection Association released a report based upon U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data showing that 77% of the 325 contract worker electrocutions that occurred from 2012-2016 involved workers employed in the construction industry. Nearly 60% of the electrocutions were caused by direct contact with electricity. 

 

  • Construction workers account for a large portion of electrical injuries in the U.S. each year. In 2015, 61% of all U.S. workplace electrocutions occurred in construction (82 of 134 total deaths).

 

  • Construction workers are approximately four times more likely to be electrocuted than workers in all other industries combined.

 

  • The “Focus Four Hazards” represent the causes of nearly 60% of all construction fatalities each year and include: Falls (from elevation and on the same level), struck-by incidents (vehicles, flying objects, etc.), caught-in and between (trench collapse, rollovers etc.), and electrocutions. Falls from elevation (typically ladders, roofs, and scaffolds) are the most common cause of construction fatalities, representing nearly 40% of all such incidents. The other three hazards each represent approximately 5-10 percent of the total annual construction fatalities (OSHA 2019).

 

OSHA does offer some guidance for maintaining a safe construction site. These include planning ahead; providing the right equipment; and proper training.

But things can and will go wrong. If so, call Phillips & Millman