The U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released statistics for work-related accidents for 2013 – 2013. As experienced Baltimore County, Maryland construction accident lawyers, we’re well aware of the increased risks that come with certain occupations. OSHA’s list of the “Fatal Four” types of U.S. construction accidents reflect the types of workplace injury and fatality cases our law firm has handled.
OSHA reports that for calendar year 2012 — 3,945 worker fatalities occurred in private industry. Of those, 775 worker deaths (close to 20 percent of the total) were in the construction industry. OSHA identified these “Fatal Four” types of construction accidents accounting for the greatest number of worker deaths:
Falls (36%)
Struck by Object (10%)
Electrocutions (9%)
Caught-in/between (2%)
OSHA estimates that 435 U.S. workers’ lives could be saved each year if construction workplaces could eliminate these fatal four types of accidents. This is why employer compliance to industry safety regulations is so critical — here in Maryland and around the country.
Industry safety regulations are only as good as the construction company’s success at putting them in place, educating workers, and enforcing them. OSHA is a small federal agency with about 2,200 inspectors responsible for the health and safety of 130 million workers, employed at more than 8 million worksites across the U.S. This means one compliance officer for every 59,000 workers. So the onus is on the owners and managers of Maryland construction companies to make sure their workplaces meet federal safety requirements.
The top five OSHA standards violations in the US for FY2013 were…
Fall protection, construction
Hazard communication standard, general industry
Scaffolding, general requirements, construction
Respiratory protection, general industry
Electrical, wiring methods, components and equipment, general industry
Industry regulations — coupled with employer compliance and worker education — save lives. Worker deaths in the US are down from 38 a day in 1970 to 12 a day in 2012. But we can do better. Those statistics represent 12 hard-working people who said goodbye to their families as they went off to work — and never made it home again.
Baltimore Workers Compensation attorneys like us work with families and individuals when a workplace accident or death occurs. Prevention goes a long way toward reducing the number of worker injuries and fatalities, here in Maryland and around the country. Have a safe New Year.
Related Maryland Workers’ Compensation Lawyer articles:
Maryland Work Safety : Falls the Leading Cause of Construction Accident Deaths (May 2013)
Maryland Workers Rights : Family and Medical Leave Act Turns 20, But Sick Employees Still Fighting an Uphill Battle (March 2013)
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