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CONSTRUCTION SITE
ACCIDENT FACTS
Accident facts compiled from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor and from the book Accident
Facts, published by the National Safety Council (1996 Edition).
Accidental injuries are the fifth leading
cause of death in the United States.
On average, there are 11,200 disabling
accidental injuries every hour during the year.
One out of every 10 construction workers
is accidentally injured every year.
The most common accident at construction
sites is falls, either on the same level or from height. More fatalities occur from falls
than any other construction activity.
Ironworkers are the construction trade
with the greatest likelihood of being injured on a construction site.
More ironworkers are injured during
decking operations than any other ironworking activity.
In 1995, there were 6,500,000
construction workers in the United States. Among these workers, there were 1,040 deaths
and 350,000 disabling injuries. This represents a 4 percent increase over the previous
year.
The back is the part of the body most
frequently injured at work accounting for nearly 25 percent of all work-related injuries.
Injuries to the legs, arms and hands are the next most frequent bodily injuries.
By percentage of population, there are
fewer accidental deaths in New York than any other state and in New England than any other
part of the country.
The states with the greatest incidents of
accidental deaths per 100,000 in population are Alaska, Wyoming, Mississippi, New Mexico,
Alabama, Montana and Tennessee. Each of these states has an accidental death rate greater
than 50 per 100,000 in population. Only Alaska and Wyoming have accidental death rates
greater than 60 per 100,000 in population. The state with the greatest number of
accidental deaths from all sources is California and the state with the fewest number of
accidental deaths was Rhode Island.
Indiana averages 1,879 accidental deaths
each year. The incident of accidental death per 100,000 in population in Indiana is 33.
This means that for every 100,000 people living in the State of Indiana, 33 will die
through accidental or unintentional injury each year.
Motor vehicles are the cause of nearly 50
percent of all accidental deaths in the United States.
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