February 5, 2015
Picking up from where Construction Accidents and Injuries: The Facts and Impacts (Pt. 1) left off, here, we will continue discussing some important facts, statistics and information related to construction accidents in the U.S.
Construction Accidents: The On-Site Risks
Taking a look at the most commonly issued OSHA citations for U.S. construction sites reveals some of the inherent risks associated with these sites (as well as where employers or others may be failing to take the proper precautions to protect workers). In particular, the top 5 OSHA violations related to construction sites in the U.S. are as follows:
- A lack of appropriate on-site fall protections
- Issues with hazard communications
- Scaffolding problems
- A lack of appropriate respiratory protection for on-site workers
- Improper use of powered industrial trucks.
The workers who have the greatest risks of sustaining fatal construction site injuries (in the private construction sector) generally include:
- General construction laborers, who account for more than 1 in every 4 construction site fatalities that take place each year in the U.S.
- First-line supervisors, who account about 13 percent of the construction site fatalities that occur annually in the U.S.
- Roofers, who account for about 11 percent of the construction site fatalities that take place each year in the U.S.
- Electricians and carpenters, each of which account for about 7 percent of the construction site fatalities that occur annually in the U.S.
Construction Accidents: The Impacts
While construction accidents can lead to any number of minor to severe (if not life-threatening injuries), the most commonly reported non-fatal injuries that arise from these workplace accidents are as follows:
- Loss of limbs
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Back, neck and/or spinal cord injuries
- Brain injuries
- Loss of eyesight and/or hearing
- Permanent impairments.
David Holmes, the Assistant Secretary for OSHA, has elucidated how devastating the impacts of construction accidents can be, stating:
We’re talking about much more than just statistics. Almost every construction worker that dies leaves behind a family, children, spouses, parents whose lives are devastated. A breadwinner’s serious injury can throw a family permanently out of the middle class.
Denver Workers’ Compensation Lawyer at the Bisset Law Firm
Have you been injured while working on a construction site? Or have you sustained any work-related injury or illness? If so, Denver Workers’ Compensation Attorney Jennifer Bisset wants you to know that she is here to aggressively advocate your rights and help you obtain the benefits you need and deserve.
When you choose to work with the Bisset Law Firm, you can trust that we will work diligently to keep your case moving and that we will keep you advised of every development in your case. While this means that you can count on us to promptly return every one of your phone calls, it also means that we are committed to meeting all of your case deadlines in order to help you secure the maximum possible compensation for your injuries and losses.
Contact Us Today
Contact Denver Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Jennifer Bisset by calling (303) 894-8900 to learn more about your rights and receive a professional evaluation of your case.
From her office based in Denver, Jennifer Bisset provides superior legal services to injured people throughout Denver County and the state of Colorado.
