Trends of Fall Accidents in the US Construction Industry

Abstract

Fall accidents constitute a crucial type of accident in the construction industry. This study investigates fall accidents that occurred in the United States between 1997 and 2012. Using the 20,997 construction industry accidents recorded in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) database, this study examines the frequency and trend of fall accidents. Additionally, by using data from 9,141 fall accidents, this study investigates various dimensions of fall accidents, such as fall height, fall location, and fall protection, and types of industry and projects where fall accidents occurred. The analyses and subsequent findings are discussed as follows: First, the percentage of fall accidents from four major accident types (fall, struck by, caught in or between, and electrocution) has been increased substantially. Second, in terms of project type, residential housing projects experienced a higher portion of fall accidents. Third, more than 80% of fall accidents occurred from a height of less than 9.1 m (30 ft), and only 11% of fall accident victims were properly equipped with fall protection. These findings serve to alert safety agencies of the need to diagnose the current state of fall accidents and to revise the policies and regulations to reduce these figures. (C) 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.