Construction has a well-deserved and infamous reputation as one of the most dangerous types of work that anyone can undertake here in Indiana and Illinois, as well as the rest of the country. Whether working on residential or commercial sites, construction workers routinely face unacceptably high risks of severe bodily harm resulting in death.
Today’s reality is that far too many people die or suffer catastrophic injuries in preventable accidents while working construction.
For details, read our earlier discussions in Construction Worker’s Danger of Being Hurt or Killed on the Job: High Risk and Little Protection; and Construction Workers: The Most Dangerous Job Today.
Nevertheless, things are not becoming safer for the men and women working construction: these jobs are getting even more dangerous, according to new research findings recently released by the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR).
- Read, Brown, S., Harris, W. Brooks, R.D., and Dong, X.S., Fatal Injury Trends in the Construction Industry, Data Bulletin, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, February 2021 (“Report”).
The research is from a respected source. The CPWR is a nonprofit research and training institution dedicated since 1990 to construction safety and health research, with the 2021 report being released as part of a series of publications analyzing construction-related data in an ongoing surveillance project funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Report, page 6.
Shocking Increase in Construction Worker Deaths Since 2011
The Report’s bottom line is this: construction worker deaths from injuries sustained at work jumped 41.4% in the span of eight years: 2011 – 2019. This means that the risk of death for those working construction in our country has almost doubled in the past decade. Of particular concern are the identified high-risk groups, which include Hispanic construction workers as well as those in the 45-64 and 65+ years of age groups.
90% Rise in Fatality Rate for Hispanic Construction Workers
Particularly shocking is the skyrocketing number of deaths involving Hispanic construction workers. According to the Report (Charts 1 and 3, p. 2), the death rate for this group jumped almost 27% in one year’s time (2018 to 2019). Compare the number of deaths in 2011 and 2019, and there has been a 90% increase in Hispanic construction workers dying from injuries sustained on the job. Report, Charts 6, 7, p. 3.
Most Construction Worker Deaths: 45-64 Years Old
Some might assume that young newbie workers would be the most likely to perish in an on-the-job accident. However, the researchers found that when looking at the years 2016 – 2019, construction workers between the ages of 45 and 64 years suffered the highest number of deaths. More construction workers between the ages of 45 and 64 years died than any other age group. Report, Chart 5, p. 3.
Construction Workers 65+ Years Old: Highest Fatality Rate
The oldest group of construction workers on the job studied by the researchers were 65 years old or older. This group of workers had the highest fatality rate over 2016-2019 time period, at 22% per 100,000 full-time employees. This is over twice the rate for those workers between the ages of 45 – 64 (9.6% fatality rate). Construction workers age 65 years or more face the highest risk of dying on the job with the highest fatality rate of any worker age group. Report, Chart 5, p. 3.
Most Common Types of Fatal Accidents on Construction Site
The Construction Industry has certain, specific hazards that are irrefutably the cause of many construction worker deaths. These are commonly known as the “Fatal Four” or “Focus Four” and involve (1) falls; (2) struck-by accidents; (3) caught-in or -between incidents; and (4) electrocutions. See, The Most Dangerous Jobs in America Are Still the Most Deadly in 2021.
According to the CPWR findings, the Fatal Four hazards alone caused 64.3% of all the worker deaths in 2019. Fatal falls to a lower level alone were responsible for 36.4% of construction fatalities during that year, a significant rise of 25% over fatal falls in 2018. Report, Charts 6 and 7, p. 3.
Falls to a Lower Level
Falls to a lower level (slip and fall, trip and fall) cause most construction worker deaths in this country. These falls involve the worker falling to a lower level from a roof, ladder, or scaffold. Report, Chart 8, p. 3.
For more about construction worker fatal falls, read: Deadly Construction Accidents: Falls Remain a Leading Cause of Death for Construction Workers.
Roofs
Roofs caused more construction worker fall deaths than either ladders or scaffolds, no matter which year is considered in the research study. Falls from roofs are the most likely to kill a construction worker. Moreover, deaths involving roofs spiked in 2019 with a 28.1% increase in worker deaths as compared to the previous year (2018). Report, Chart 7, p. 3.
For more about the danger of construction worker deaths in falls from roofs, read: Fatal Rooftop Falls: Record-Breaking Number of Deadly Falls from Roof.
Struck-By Injuries
Overall struck-by fatalities jumped 7.6% from 2011 to 2019. In 2019, most (52.9%) struck-by construction worker deaths were caused by struck-by incidents with objects or equipment (e.g., falling materials). There is also a growing danger of fatal struck-by accidents involving a transport vehicle (an increase of 21.2% comparing 2019 to 2018). Report, Chart 9, p. 4.
For more about deadly construction struck-by injuries, read: Fatal Construction Work Accident: Injuries from Being Struck By Object.
Caught In or Between Injuries
Over two-thirds (70.3%) of deadly caught in or between accidents happened when construction workers were struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing materials. Of particular concern is the apparently growing danger of a caught-in/between death caused by collapsing materials (rising 31.4% from 2018 to 2019). Report, Chart 10, p. 4.
For more about fatal caught in or between construction accidents, read: Caught In-Between Hazards: One of OSHA’s “Fatal Four” Deadly Construction Accidents.
Justice for Construction Worker Death on the Job in Indiana and Illinois
Construction workers must be respected not only for their craftsmanship and skill, but for their contributions to our culture, economy, and society as a whole. It is shameful that these men and women must continue to go to their jobs each day facing a known risk of death that safety standards and protocols are designed to prevent.
This new report confirms the risk of a deadly accident facing construction workers in Indiana and Illinois is not only recognized, but it is an increasing danger and a rising, unthwarted trend.
Employers, contractors, supervisors, manufacturers, and others are legally responsible for exercising legally defined duties to keep construction workers safe on the job. The CPWR research warns that these duties are not being respected, and construction workers are dying as a result.
For more about construction worker injuries in Indiana and Illinois, read:
- Construction Worker Injury Behavior Study: Higher Risk of Accident
- New Construction Worker Safety Report: 43% Jump in Road Construction Worker Deaths
- The Construction Workers’ Viewpoint: Work Site Safety and Suicide Rates
- Job Site Injury in Illinois or Indiana: When Accidents at Work Are Not Worker’s Compensation Claims
- Legal Protection for Construction Workers from High Risk and Danger of Serious Injury or Death on the Job.
If you or a loved one is severely injured or killed in a construction work accident, then the state laws of Indiana and Illinois may provide you with an avenue to justice in the aftermath of tragedy. Please be careful out there!
