There were 5,486 workers who lost their lives in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That same data reveals that the construction and extraction industries saw the second-highest amount of worker fatalities that same year (1,056 total).
While not all construction site accidents result in fatalities, when they don’t, they tend to cause catastrophic injuries — many of which forever alter the trajectory of a victim’s life.
What is the number one injury in construction? Keep reading, where we answer this question and also tell you what to do if suffered harm in this way
The Injury Construction Workers Suffer Most Often
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has long maintained a list of its “focus four” (also sometimes referred to as its “fatal four”). On that list are reports of construction workers suffering the most. Those include:
- Falls
- Caught-in of Caught-in-Between Injuries
- Struck-by Injuries
- Electrocutions
While any of the above-referenced factors harm a contractor, there’s overwhelming evidence, such as the BLS data shared above that suggests that falls are the leading cause of builders’ injuries and deaths. In 2022, for example, BLS statistics show that at least 423 of the 1,056 construction workers who died on the job did so after suffering a slip, trip, or fall.
Which Types of Falls Happen on Building Sites in Kansas?
When it comes to falling, there’s not just one type of way such an incident occurs. Instead, they may happen in one of the following ways:
- Falls after trips: From power or extension cords to deeply dug holes, these are just two examples of situations that may cause a construction worker to trip, leading them to fall –oftentimes off scaffolding to the ground or even from ground level into belowground into a recently excavated pit.
- Falls from high up: From ladders to roofs, these are a few examples of items or structures that a contractor may be working on top of. All it takes is for them to lose their footing and not be tethered to a harness to tumble and fall to the ground.
- Falls caused by attempting to navigate certain surfaces: From oily floors to wet or waxy ones and even rain-drenched or icy ones, the possibility that a Wichita construction worker may slip and fall on one of these surfaces is high.
Why Are Fall Injuries So Prevalent Among Construction Workers?
There’s no one reason construction accident injuries occur, but instead, various factors may explain why these injuries occur, including:
- Failures to adequately train workers to ensure they understand proper fall avoidance protocol
- Employers not providing proper fall protection equipment like harnesses
- Not closely supervising workers to ensure they are performing job tasks safely
Injuries Builders Suffer When They Fall
As mentioned above, fatalities are a reality that construction workers that fall face. What types of injuries do falls cause when they, fortunately, don’t prematurely take a builder’s life, though? Common injuries associated with falls include:
- Broken necks and backs, oftentimes leading to spinal cord injuries and residual paralysis
- Head injuries, such as skull fractures and associated traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Broken bones such as fractured legs, arms, ankles, shoulders, etc.
- Internal organ damage, such as collapsed lungs, a ruptured spleen, etc.
While the list above is far from exhaustive, it gives you a good idea of the wide variety of injuries falls among construction workers in Wichita can cause. While some of these injuries may be ones that victims are able to recover from in time, others may forever alter a contractor’s way of life, making them unable to return to doing the work they used to.
When To Get Help From a Construction Accident Attorney in Wichita
The more serious the injuries you suffered when your construction site fall occurred, the more time-intensive your treatment is likely to be. The amount of calls you receive from insurance adjusters is likely to be highest the worse your condition is as well.
Whether you yourself have suffered a fall on a Wichita construction site or someone close to you has, be sure to reach out to an attorney in our office to discuss what happened and the rights Kansas law affords victims. Meeting with a construction accident attorney is free. So, give us a call at Prochaska, Howell & Prochaska LLC to discuss your case now.
