Injured Construction Workers' Rights in the U.S.
The construction industry is dangerous in its nature. Therefore, both employers and employees must take safety rules seriously. In this article, we will discuss types of injuries and legal options for an injured construction worker.
- By Yuriy Moshes
- Aug 18, 2020
A construction worker is a dangerous profession that poses many risks to the employee’s health. To understand the scope of a problem, let’s pay attention to figures. In 2018, there were 4,779 worker fatalities in the private sector. Those that occurred in construction make up more than 20 percent. It means that one in five workers’ deaths were in construction in 2018.
According to the construction accident statistics, the four leading causes were:
- Falls
- Struck by object
- Electrocutions
- Caught-in/between
The latter category includes the situations when a construction worker was compressed or caught-in by objects or equipment, caught, crushed, or struck in collapsing equipment, material, or construction.
A construction accident report states that the elimination of these fatal causes would save 591 US workers’ lives annually. On the whole, the Fatal Four were accountable for almost 60 percent of construction workers’ deaths two years ago.
Types of Construction Worker Injuries
There are many ways a worker can get injured on construction. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the most frequent causes of a construction injury are:
- Failure to wear appropriate protective gear – this includes personal protective equipment like safety glasses or hardhats that prevent injuries.
- Electric shock – Those who directly deal with power tools, generators, electrical wiring are exposing themselves to high risks of electrical burns.
- Motion injuries due to repetitive actions – a muscle may get work out or damaged because of repetitive physical activity.
- Trench collapse – it can cut off air supply; therefore, a worker may be buried alive.
- Falls – Falling from heights (for instance, a piece of machinery or building) can lead to severe damage and even death.
However, the list is not excessive. A construction accident can happen as a result of malfunctioning equipment or tools, other workers’ errors, traffic accident, or accidents with machinery and tools.
As a result of the accident, a worker can face such injuries as electrocution, construction eye injury, broken bones, burns, head, back, neck, knee, etc. injuries, diseases related to toxic chemical exposure.