The Dangers of the Construction Industry
Construction is a dangerous industry. Construction is comprised of many different types of subcontractors that each have risks associated with their professions. For example, consider the data collected by the government from 1992-2001.
Figure 4-20. Average distribution of full-time construction workers by trade, 1992-2001. Among the trades monitored by CPWR, the estimated distribution of employed construction workers by trade ranged from 0.6% to 13.3% during 1992-2001. Carpenters made up the largest proportion of construction workers (13.3%), followed by construction laborers (8.8%) and electricians (5.9%). (Notes: (1) Apprentices are included for some trades when data were available. (2) All other includes managers, professionals, supervisors, clerical workers, sales personnel, and trades that each totaled less than 1% of the industry. (3) Computations were based on a definition of full-time work as 2,000 employee hours per year.)
(Sources: BLS [2002c]; Dong et al. [2004].)
Carpenters made up the largest percentage of full time construction workers and they only accounted for 13.3% of the total number of construction workers.
Job Related Injuries
In 2001, construction workers in the United States suffered from nonfatal job related illnesses and injuries at a rate of 268 for every 10,000 workers. Some construction related industries saw rates much higher than the average, however. Ironworkers for example became ill or hurt at a rate of 751.8 and construction laborers had a rate of 512.1 during 2001.
Figure 4-27. Rate of nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases with days away from work by construction trade, 2001. In 2001, the rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving days away from work ranged from 131.2 per 10,000 full-time workers among painters to 751.8 for ironworkers-nearly a 6-fold difference.
(Sources: BLS [2002c; 2003b]; Pollack and Chowdhury [2001]; Dong et al. [2004].)
Job Related Fatalities
The average rate of fatalities among construction workers in 2001 was 13.2 workers for every 100,000 workers. However, 6 types of construction workers saw rates higher than the average. The highest was among ironworkers with a rate of 75.6 deaths. After that the rate dropped significantly to 41.2 deaths among roofers, 39.9 deaths among welders and cutters, 38.4 deaths among construction laborers, 29.5 deaths among truck drivers and 17.2 among operating engineers.
Figure 4-23. Fatal occupational injury rates by construction trade, 2001. Fatal occupational injury rates in the construction trades for 2001 ranged from 6.0 per 100,000 full-time workers for drywall installers to 75.6 for ironworkers-more than a 12-fold difference.
(Sources: BLS [2002b,c]; Chowdhury and Dong [2002].)
Many construction workers die from fatal falls. These types of injuries are often preventable. As with all construction related fatalities, different workers in the construction trade suffer from fatalities at different rates.
The average rate in 2001 was 4.4 deaths for every 100,000 workers. The two groups that exceed the average rate most significantly are the groups with the highest number of overall fatalities including ironworkers with a rate of 66.8 percent and roofers with a rate of 30.1 percent.
Figure 4-26. Fatal occupational fall rates by selected construction trade, 2001. The 2001 rate for fatal occupational falls among ironworkers was 66.8 per 100,000 workers-15 times the average rate for all construction. For roofers, the fatal fall rate was 30.1, or 7 times the average rate for all construction.
(Sources: BLS [2002b,c]; Dong et al. [2004].)
Risks to Specific Types of Construction Workers
Different types of construction workers are at risk for different injuries and illnesses. Roofers for example, have a high rate of injury and fatality from falls. Ironworkers have the highest rate of occupational illnesses and injuries among construction workers. Like roofers, they are at risk for falls. Ironworkers are also at risk for respiratory disease and other health problems due to the nature of their work.
Other types of construction workers are also at risk for injury and illness. The examples below are meant to illustrate just a few of the many dangers facing construction workers:
- Welders and cutters: are at risk due to fumes and sharp instruments
- Electricians: are at risk of electrocution.
- Plumbers: are at risk from asbestos and plumbing related accidents.
- Brick masons: are at risk from falls and breathing harmful contaminants.
- Carpenters and construction laborers: are at risk of injuries from falls, from their tools and from other construction accidents.
- Drywall installers: are at risk of injury from carrying, moving and holding heavy sheets of drywall. The dust created from drywall can also cause serious illness and death.
- Operating engineers: are at risk of physical strains, hearing impairments and exposure to harmful dust and other elements.
- Painters: are at risk from paint fumes and falls off of ladders or scaffolding.
- Truck drivers: are at risk of motor vehicle accidents.
Of course, workers in all of these industries may suffer from other types of illnesses and injuries. It is, therefore, important for every construction worker and employer to take the necessary precautions to prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities from occurring.