There are many dangerous industries, but it is safe to say that construction is reliably one of the most dangerous that you can work in. It leads to the highest total number of fatalities in the United States every year.
For instance, the statistics from 2019 show that roughly one out of every five workers who suffered a fatal injury was working in the construction industry at the time. That’s a staggering 20% of all of the work-related deaths for the year, in just one industry. Why is this?
It is a large and dangerous industry
First of all, you have to consider how large this industry is. You have thousands and thousands of construction workers, doing everything from digging trenches to putting on roofs to constructing skyscrapers. Other industries, such as logging, have higher rates of fatal accidents because they are so much smaller, but construction just has so many people that it leads to the biggest totals.
Additionally, construction is a very physical and dangerous industry. Not only are there risks with working at heights, but workers have to operate around power lines, they have to use heavy equipment, they use power tools extensively and they often use pickup trucks and other vehicles on the job. Many industries simply do not carry this number of inherent risks, which construction workers have to face every day.
Have you lost a loved one in an accident?
If you have lost a loved one on the job, whether they work in construction or not, be very sure that you know about all of the legal steps you can take.