The AGC (Associated General Contractors) has published their findings from a recent report that was aimed at looking more closely at worker fatalities in the construction industry.
The study was conducted by the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech and utilized existing data from sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic, the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.
Using analytics and reconsidering other factors, the study could encompass a comparison between a larger number of cases and specifically hone in on work zone-related accidents.
After the evaluation of the data, some interesting new findings were revealed. For instance, the study claims that most fatalities occurred between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., with noon being the apex of these incidents and the most dangerous time of the day for construction workers. This goes against information found in the previous studies.
What are termed as fatalities due to transportation and violence is on the rise, while exposure to harmful substances along with fire and explosions have decreased. This would lead people to the conclusion that fire and safety precautions are effective, but some element is missing in solving issues of vehicular incidents.
Some interesting findings that ran concurrent with the previous studies were that fatalities increased during the spring and summer months with the peak month being August. Falls still remain the leading cause of fatal accidents (about one-third of all fatalities) on construction sites being closely followed by vehicular and transportation operations.
The AGC study serves to give industry professionals the metrics needed to guide the discussion about the future of safety and well-being of workers in the industry.
For a link to the full report, please click here.
