Falls have long been one of the the dangers that most threaten life in the construction sectorand this trend is going in the wrong direction.
In the most recent publicly available data, the rate of falls below construction in the US increased by 13.3% between 2011 and 2022, as the raw number of jumps by 52.7 percent, according to an analysis of fatal injury trends in US Bureau of Labor Statistics data by CPWR’s Silver Spring, Md.-based Center for Construction Research and Training.
The analysis found that most of those declines, 70 percent, occurred at smaller businesses that employ 10 or fewer employees, according to a July 31 report. CPWR webinar.
Falls also accounted for two of the most common types of nonfatal injuries leading to days off work, CPWR found. Falls to a lower level and falls to the same level accounted for 13.4% and 9.9%, respectively, of all days absent from work.
Amber Trueblood, director of CPWR’s data center and webinar host, pointed to other non-fatal cases as indicators of the broader problem. Looking at the bigger picture can help understand how hazards contribute to other potential injuries, he said.
“We need to understand nonfatal injuries and near misses to prevent fatal injuries,” Trueblood said.
Of construction jobs, roofers had the highest number of fatal falls in 2022
Construction occupations with the highest number of fatal falls, slips and trips in 2022, the most recent public data available.
Trueblood told Construction Dive that it’s a challenge to reach small businesses, but he said CPWR offers tools and educational programs to help employers learn how to control hazards, train workers and use effective equipment.
Other causes of days off work, such as overexertion with external sources (15.4%) and other bodily exertion or reactions (6.5%) were among the top six causes of non-fatal injuries that cause time off work.
These types of injuries result from lifting, pulling, pushing or carrying materials or objects and can occur after a single event or multiple similar stresses. They can also lead to musculoskeletal disorders, which Trueblood says can become a predictor of future falls or opioid use.
“I also like to emphasize as an injury epidemiologist that even if an injury does not result in death, a non-fatal injury can still greatly affect workers and their families as well as employers and many of these injuries can have lifelong consequences that we need to understand,” Trueblood said. “So, in addition to preventing fatal injuries, we can also keep our workers safe and healthy in the long term.”
