Eliminating construction’s “Fatal Four” would save hundreds of lives
Falls down, but still at top of list
OSHA says elininating the top four causes of worker fatalities in the construction industry could save 410 workers a year.
Out of 4,114 worker fatalities in private industry in 2011, 721 (17.5 percent) were in construction.
The causes that OSHA has deemed the “Fatal Four” account for the majority of construction worker deaths in 2011.
In a ranking that should surprise no one, falls topped the list. Falls in the construction industry killed 251 workers in 2011 (35 percent of the construction total). That figure was down from 264 fall-related deaths the previous year.
Struck-by objects caused 73 fatalities (10 percent), followed by electrocutions at 67 deaths (nine percent) and caught-in/between accidents, which resulted in 19 fatalities (three percent).
The agency offers a webpage on safety in the construction industry that includes information on its fall prevention campaign, fall protection in residential construction, fall protection and other topics.
OSHA also has many informational resources available in Spanish. In 20111, 729 Hispanic or Latino workers died from work-related injuries— more than 14 deaths a week or two Latino workers killed every single day of the year, all year long.
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