Introduction

Out of 4,779 worker fatalities in 2018 in United States private industry, 1,008 or 21.1% were in construction — that is, one in five worker deaths in 2018 were in construction. The leading causes of worker deaths (excluding highway collisions) in the construction industry were falls, followed by struck-by-object, electrocution, and caught-in/between.

The construction industry sends more reports of injuries and fatalities from falls to OSHA than any other industry. Most of these accidents could have been prevented by training, education, and adherence to OSHA regulations.

Of the 10 most frequently cited serious violations in construction in 2018, seven of them had to do with fall protection.

To learn more about Fall Protection visit our Construction Fall Protection Online Training web page.