Quarterly Data Report Analyzes Construction Falls  

The new Quarterly Data Report focuses on falls, which remain the most common cause of fatal injuries in the construction industry. In 2017, 389 workers died from falls, 367 from falls to a lower level. Encouragingly, the rate of fatal falls showed signs of decreasing among roofers, the occupation with the highest risk of falls, and among construction laborers, the largest occupation in the industry.

Small employers (those with fewer than 20 employees) accounted for 75% of fatal falls between 2015 and 2017, despite making up only 39% of construction payroll employment. The rate of nonfatal falls trended downward between 2011 and 2017, though construction still reported the third-highest number of falls of all major industries.

Since 2012, a wide range of stakeholders have conducted the National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction to improve safety in this area, and the QDR describes an analysis of the continuing growth of the Campaign.

The new Quarterly Data Report is available on the CPWR website, along with past QDRs.