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Construction Industry Essay

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According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, “A total of 4836 workers died from an occupational injury in 2015. The number reached the highest count since 2008” (CFOI). The focus of this research was on private industries from the year 2011-2015 as private sectors consistently accounted for over 89% of all fatal accidents over this period. The three industries with the highest fatality count from 2011-2015, in descending order, were construction, transportation, and agriculture. Several possible major causes for the high fatality count in each industry and recommended actions are discussed below. Private construction had the highest number of fatal work injuries across all industries as it represented nearly 20% of the total fatality count in …show more content…

More fatal injuries in construction resulted from slips, falls, and trips than from any other events from 2011-2015, which implied that the lack of appropriate employee training might be another cause of the high fatality count. One example was when a worker lost his footing when climbing down a 400-foot telecommunication tower, the ladder safety device did not activate to stop the employee’s fall, he plunged 90 feet to his death (USDoL). The causes of his death were inadequate training on the ladder safety device he used and the defective safety sleeve that failed to save him when he fell. Another example, four construction workers were killed when the north-east side of a parking garage under construction collapsed. OSHA issued citations to the five construction firms involved in the project for “failing to provide workers a workplace free from recognized hazards causing or likely to cause deaths or serious physical harms.” With a total of 765 fatal injuries, the transportation and warehousing industry represented 15.82% of the total number of fatal injuries in 2015 (CFOI). The fatality count in the transportation industry rose from 749 in 2011 to 765 in 2015 (CFOI). Bureau of Labor Statistics shared that, “Roadway incidents have consistently accounted for the greatest share of

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