The construction industry, with the attendant dangers that face all workers in this industry, sees a large number of accidents each and every year. Many of these construction accidents can lead to serious and permanent personal injuries, and even fatal injuries. I found the following chilling construction industry facts and statistics on attorney William F. Conour’s website:
- 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.