Nebraska construction workers like you deserve to have a safe working environment. Many laws and regulations are in place to try facilitating this. Unfortunately, that is not always enough.
One of the biggest industry risks you face involves fall incidents. Thus, it is important to understand how falls happen, why they are so dangerous and to what degree they impact you.
INJURY AND FATALITY STATISTICS
The National Safety Council looks at fall injuries in the workplace. In 2016 alone, the construction industry suffered from 384 fatalities due to workplace falls. This makes it one of the highest ranking industries when it comes to fall fatalities. On top of that, 24,700 workers ended up suffering from injury while on the job in one year. While annual statistics may fluctuate slightly, they tend to stay in this range.
Construction workers have a higher rate of fatalities and falls compared to other industries because of the nature of your job. It is not uncommon for construction jobs to take place hundreds or even thousands of feet above ground level. This means that falls have a higher possibility of being deadly right off the bat.
THE AVERAGE CAUSE OF A FALL
So what causes these falls? Unfortunately, studies show most if not all of the causes are avoidable. For example, some of the most recurring causes include:
• A lack of proper safety training or gear
• Old equipment that is not properly maintained or updated
• Employers prioritizing speed instead of safety
• Using items for unintended purposes
If your job is less safe due to your employer, it is not your fault. If you get injured because of this, you may want to consider the possibility of seeing workers’ compensation.