The construction industry undoubtedly has the honor of being the single most dangerous industry in America, with the highest rate of on-the-job injuries and deaths of all industries. This is due to a variety of factors, much of which is the result of negligence on the part of construction site owners and contractors. But why do construction injuries happen in the first place, and what can be done to prevent them?
According to the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), about 1 in 4 construction workers fail to report workplace-related injuries every year. Unfortunately, construction workers are not alone in this, and a shocking number of workers are injured on the job and fail to report it. Far from being helpful, this behavior could seriously damage an employee’s chances at successful litigation later on.
There is no type of harm more common in American workplaces than falling injuries. This includes people who fall from an elevated height, as well as people who simply trip or slip and fall while walking around. These injuries are often serious, with more than 240,000 people every year needing to take time off work from falling, and nearly 900 people dying as a result of their injuries. But why is falling such a common cause of workplace injuries?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) takes stock of how many people are injured on the job every single year. Of those, they have identified four common culprits as the source of most workplace injuries, with all of them being particularly prominent in the field of construction. The four most common types of injuries, as described by OSHA, are as follows:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) contributes to 50,000 deaths each year and 282,000 hospitalizations. According to the Mayo Clinic, a TBI happens when the skull is penetrated from a blow to the head. According to the CDCP, one of the leading causes of TBIs is being stuck in the head by an object. The CDCP estimates that approximately fifteen percent of those struck in the head by an object will die as a result of the TBI.
With all the hustle and bustle that New York has to offer, many people would expect workplace injuries to be on the rise, but the United States Department of Labor reports just the opposite. According to New York private industry employers, about 146,000 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses occurred in 2012.
