Construction accidents claim many people’s lives each year, making them the leading cause of work-related fatalities. These accidents often occur unexpectedly, and worst-case scenarios can result in construction worker injuries or even death.
While new technologies are helping to reduce injuries, such improvements are not yet widespread enough to prevent all accidents. The leading causes of fatal construction accidents include falling objects, electrocution, and ladder accidents.
Falling Objects
Falling objects on site are a leading cause of construction accidents that result in workers’ injuries. The most common objects that fall are crane loads that are not properly rigged, unbalanced working materials, and unsecured tools.
Falling objects can cause severe injuries and even death. Major construction workers’ deaths are due to complications from spinal injuries, rib fractures, head injuries, and other major trauma.
Federal and state laws provide construction workers with special protection because of the high risks in this industry. A construction accident lawyer will review the accident report and assist the victim in filing a personal injury claim.
Electrocution
Electrocution is also one of the leading causes of construction worker fatalities. Inappropriate use or misapplication of electrical equipment may kill or severely injure the workers.
Electrocution can occur from a malfunctioning power source, discharge through faulty wiring, or a shockwave. The leading electrocution death cause is contact with the power source and wiring.
Electrical work training is essential; all construction workers must follow the warning labels to avoid these instances. Electrical accidents can happen suddenly, which makes proper safety equipment crucial. For the construction workers’ safety, electricity sources should be identified and verified to ensure that all wiring and power sources are safe.
Explosions
Building explosions or fires can occur for several reasons, including welding sparks, halogen lights, heaters, and electrical shorts. Numerous flammable materials are used in the construction industry, thus increasing the risks of explosion. The most common fire-related accidents include welding sparks and hot welding flames.
Many materials used for construction, like gypsum wallboard and glass wool, are flammable and pose an explosion hazard. Hand tools like blowtorches, drills, and grinders can also cause explosions and fires when they come into contact with flammable materials.
Caught-in Accidents
These accidents occur when a worker is caught between two objects or crushed and compressed by a moving object like a vehicle. Some cases are when workers are pulled into machinery or trench cave-ins. It is critical to turn all vehicles and machinery off after use.
Machinery Accidents
In machinery accidents, the most common causes include:
- An unexpected movement of a heavy construction vehicle
- Wrong opening and closing operation of a tool
- Failure to turn off the equipment after use
Construction workers who frequently use heavy machinery like forklifts, cranes, trucks, loaders, bulldozers, backhoes, and electric motors are at higher risk of being fatally injured. The machine operators should properly maintain the construction vehicles and follow all the safety precautions during all operational phases.
Ladder Accidents
According to OSHA, many fatal accidents occur while workers are on ladders and scaffolds. Ladders can be defective and—mainly when not properly anchored and made of flimsy material—can collapse during use.
The most common causes of ladder accidents are:
- An unstable base
- Obstructed access
- A ladder that is too short for the job
- Climbing on the wrong side of the ladder
- Slippery rungs
Tree trimmers, construction workers, and electricians are especially vulnerable to falling accidents.
Decreasing the Risk of Construction Accidents
Protecting construction workers from injuries is the primary responsibility of construction companies that are aware of the risks and should take measures to safeguard their workers. Providing workers with protective equipment and issuing proper instructions can reduce fatal and severe accidents at the construction site.
The materials used in construction projects vary greatly; some may be more hazardous than others. Workers must constantly be aware of these dangers that could cause severe injury or death.
Mark Scott
With a law degree under his belt, Mark Scott understood very early that law communication was a relatively neglected area. He decided to help people by “translating” the language and offering information and advice in a clear, useful, and actionable manner. For this reason, instead of finding him in court, you will most likely find his name online, where he is very active and thriving as a legal columnist. His part of making the world a better place is to make the law a less convoluted maze. He aims to make it easier for people to understand when and how to seek legal counsel, how to proceed in a significant number of legal matters, and to find the proper resources so they can stand up for their rights.
