Construction workers are more likely to be injured by struck-by hazards than any other injury, according to a new data report by CPWR, The Center for Construction Research and Training.
According to the report, the risk of nonfatal struck-by injuries in the construction industry is almost double the risk of all other industries combined.
The report's key findings include:
• Between 2011 and 2015, 804 construction workers died from struck-by injuries, which is more than any other industry.
• Fifty-two percent of construction workers who died from struck-by injuries were struck by either equipment or an object. The remaining 48 percent were struck by a vehicle.
• Fifty-seven percent of the struck-by fatalities involving a vehicle occurred in a work zone.
• Of the nonfatal struck-by injuries, 96 percent occurred when the victims were struck by an object or equipment.
• Highway maintenance workers retained the highest rate of struck-by fatalities.
• Helpers retained the highest rate of nonfatal struck-by injuries.
• When broken down by age, construction workers aged 65 and older had the highest struck-by fatality rate, while workers aged 20 and younger had the highest nonfatal struck-by injury rate.
Prevention Is Key
The report said that training, correct personal protective equipment (PPE), engineering controls, safety protocols and other safety solutions can be used to prevent struck-by injuries and fatalities from occurring. The report's prevention chart, found in the image gallery above, outlines methods for construction workers to avoid struck-by injuries from vehicles, falling objects, flying objects, swinging or slipping objects, and equipment.
To view the full report, visit www.cpwr.com.
