Falls a Frequent Cause of Construction Worker Deaths

Tragedy struck at the construction site of a fitness center in Wilder, Kentucky, recently when a 53-year-old worker fell to his death from the roof beams where he was installing insulation. According to a news report, the worker was pronounced dead on the scene. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is expected to conduct an investigation to determine if any safety regulations were violated, and if so, whether they contributed to the worker’s death.

Construction Workplace Fall Injuries

Construction sites present some of the most potentially deadly, hazards of all work environments. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction industry consistently comes in second only to the transportation industry in the number of fatal workplace accidents each year. More than 150,000 workplace injuries occur on construction sites every year in the U.S. Fatalities in the construction industry accounted for 17.6 percent of all work-related deaths in 2011, according to OSHA.

Within the construction industry, OSHA has identified the “Fatal Four” causes that are responsible for almost three in five construction worker deaths each year. The “Fatal Four” include falls, electrocutions, struck by objects, and caught in or between objects.

Falls consistently account for the largest number of construction worker fatal injuries each year. In 2011, for example, 259 out of the 738 worker fatalities in the construction industry were the result of falls, accounting for 35 percent of total fatalities that year. It should come as no surprise then that OSHA cites fall protection in the construction industry as the number one most frequently cited violation of safety standards for the year 2012.

A construction worker can fall under truly accidental circumstances. However, all too often a fall is caused, at least in part, by the worker not following proper safety procedures. Failing to follow proper safety procedures, in turn, may be a result of an employer who is trying to cut corners or who simply lacks the knowledge necessary to employ proper safety procedures.

Kentucky Workers’ Compensation

Whether or not an employer contributed to a fall accident, a Kentucky worker who is injured in a fall may be entitled to benefits from the Kentucky workers’ compensation system. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, meaning that a worker is not required to prove negligence on the part of an employer in order to have a claim for benefits approved.

If you have suffered a workplace-related injury or illness, or have lost a loved one as the result of one, you may be entitled to Kentucky workers’ compensation benefits.