If you are one of Indiana’s thousands of construction workers, you likely have a well-paying job even when other industries struggle to stay in business and maintain their workforces. Unfortunately, however, your job security comes at a cost. Construction jobs are notoriously dangerous.
As Construct Connect reports, construction jobs are so dangerous that the Occupational Safety & Health Administration constructed a list of the top four most deadly hazards of construction work. Called the Fatal Four, this list reveals the following:
- Falls represent the number one cause of construction fatalities, accounting for 39.7% of them.
- Struck by object accidents represent the second highest cause of construction fatalities, accounting for 9.4% of them.
- Electrocutions represent the third highest cause of construction fatalities, accounting for 8.3% of them.
- Caught-between and caught-in accidents represent the fourth highest cause of construction fatalities, accounting for 7.3% of them.
Falls
Given that you must perform many of your jobs while on a roof, scaffold or tall ladder, it is not surprising that falls represent the biggest on-the-job hazard you face. Even if you survive your fall, you could suffer a catastrophic injury such as a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury.
Other hazards
If you analyze the above figures, you will see that, together, struck by object accidents, electrocutions and caught-between or caught-in accidents account for approximately 25% of all construction fatalities. While you are far less likely to die or suffer grievous injury in accidents of these types as compared to falls, still, it takes only one serious accident to change your life forever. For instance, assuming you survive an electrocution, it likely will severely burn you, leaving you with disfiguring scars. Caught-between and caught-in accidents can crush you, possibly resulting in amputation of your affected limb(s).