Construction Site Accidents

The number of workplace deaths in 2010 was virtually the same as the number of workplace deaths reported in 2009, a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has found. According to the initial data, 4,547 fatal workplace incidents occurred last year, down very slightly from 4,551 in 2009. All in all, the federal government found there were 3.5 deaths per every 100,000 workers in 2010.

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, accounting for about one-third of all work-related deaths, followed by transportation incidents and contact with objects (which includes vehicles and mobile heavy equipment accidents). Transportation injuries caused more than one-fourth of all deaths.

However, in general, the latest report finds fatal work injuries in the private construction sector fell 10 percent from 2009 to 1010 and are down nearly 40 percent since 2006. However, the BLS notes that economic factors are partly responsible for this decline, as the construction industry has been one of the hardest hit in the slow economy.

Consequently, fatal falling injuries, which occur most in the construction occupation, were down 2 percent from 645 in 2009 to 635 in 2010. Overall, fatal falls in the private construction industry have dropped 25 percent since peaking at 847 in 2007.

Fatal struck-by injuries and electrocutions also dropped slightly in 2009, while fatalities involving exposure to harmful substances or environments were up.

Work-related transportation incidents decreased slightly in 2010 from 2009, but still accounted for nearly 2 out of every 5 fatal work injuries.

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