Department Of Labor Reports 47 Construction Worker Fatalities In December Alone

A Department Of Labor Report Shows There 47 Construction Worker Fatalities in December of 2015 Alone

Construction-Accident-Fatalities-Wright-and-Schulte

As the construction industry continues to rebound the reports of construction worker accidents and fatalities continue to rise. According to the latest OSHA report, workplace fatalities continue have shown a continued increase in work related deaths in the construction field. The report focuses on construction work accidents from October 2015 to January 2016, and shows a shocking trend with 47 construction worker fatalities reported. This is another increase after it was reported in 2013 that construction site fatalities jumped to 750 in 2012. This was a 5% increase over 2011.

When the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) was founded in 1973, there were an average of 14,000 workplace fatalities per year. In 2014, those deaths were reported at just over 4,500. However, even though safety polices from OSHA have dropped the workplace average fatality rate in the United States from over 38 per day to an average of 12 deaths per day, 12 deaths a day is still far too many.

[bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.t05.htm, January 2016]

The data collected by OSHA each year gathers information on fatalities and injuries that occur in the workplace each day and what safety violations led to the injury or death of workers. OSHA requires that employers report any accidents to OSHA within 8 to 24 hours, depending on the severity of the incident. After the incident is reported, OSHA investigates all accidents to ensure the company is following all safety guidelines and to work to improve safety in the future so no other incidents occur down the road.

Between September 2015 and December 2015, 215 workers were killed on the job. In December of 2015, there were 47 fatalities. In November, 83 workers were killed while working. In October, 89 workers were killed. These high numbers are tragic and show just how far OHSA still has to go before working in the United States is safe for everyone. [osha.gov/dep/fatcat/dep_fatcat.html, January 2016]

The data shows that most fatalities occurred due to falling. Explosions, unsecured items, and vehicle fatalities were also common reasons for death. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke were also a factor in several injuries. As fall risks are the biggest workplace danger, OSHA is working hard to improve the safety of jobs that require employees to scale ladders, fences, poles, and other high areas. By making falls less likely, OSHA will go a long way toward preventing many dangerous workplace fatalities.

If a worker was killed due to the negligence of others, or due to a safety violation on the part of the employer, the family of the worker may be entitled to receive a settlement from a wrongful death lawsuit. If your loved one was killed or injured in a workplace accident, contact Wright & Schulte today for a free consultation to discuss your eligibility for a wrongful death lawsuit.

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