The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released its preliminary tally on the number of workplace deaths for 2013 and despite a slight decrease from 2012, construction leads all other industries in total deaths.
According to the preliminary National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 796 construction workers died on the job in 2013 at a rate of 9.4 workers per 100,000. Construction accounted for 111 more deaths than the industry with the second-most deaths, transportation and warehousing, and 317 more deaths than the industry with the third-highest tally, agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting.
Despite leading the tally of overall deaths, construction’s death rate of 9.4 was the fourth-highest behind agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting at 22.2; transportation and warehousing at 13.1 and mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction at 12.3.
The report attributes the majority of deaths in construction to falls, slips and trips at 37 percent of total deaths. Roadway accidents were next at 12 percent, followed by incidents involving a worker being struck by an object or piece of equipment at 10 percent. Homicide was last at 1 percent.
Overall deaths in the construction industry were about the same in 2012 and 2013 with only 10 fewer deaths occurring in 2013. However, that number is down 36 percent since 2006.
In an interview with Equipment World in July, Dean McKenzie, the deputy director of OSHA’s directorate for construction, noted his concern over the apparent increase in the frequency of construction worker deaths in news reports. McKenzie said it wouldn’t be surprising to see the number of construction deaths go up in 2013 due to an increase in activity and an influx of unexperienced workers.
