Trends and patterns of the construction Focus Four 1992-2016.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Dong XS ; Katz R ; Wang X
• Description:
  Background: Fall, struck-by, electrocution, and caught-in/ between are the Focus Four hazards identified by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration as the leading causes of fatalities in the construction industry. This study examines fatal injuries among construction workers caused by these four hazards. Methods: Three large national datasets (Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, Current Population Survey, and Current Employment Statistics), covering 1992 to 2016, were analyzed. Stratified and time series analyses were conducted using SAS 9.4 to identify high-risk subgroups in construction over time. Results: From 1992 through 2015, the Focus Four claimed the lives of 745 construction workers annually, accounting for 70% of all construction fatalities. Specifically, 8,211 deaths were from falls to a lower level, 4,648 deaths were due to being struck by an object or a vehicle, 2,807 deaths were caused by contact with electric current, and 2,207 deaths were from caught-in/ between injuries over this period. Each of these causes of death hit their lowest point between 2010 and 2012 during the latest recession and increased since then, though at different paces. Risks of the Focus Four vary by demographics and occupation. Deaths from falls to a lower level reached 353 in 2015, a 36% increase since 2011 and more rapid growth than the other three causes. Increases in fall fatalities were disproportionately high in residential construction and among Hispanic and foreign-born workers. The risk of struck-by was higher among highway maintenance workers and power-line installers, while the risk of caught-in/ between injuries was highest among ironworkers. In addition, excavating or loading machine operators had a higher risk of fatality from being struck-by as well as caught-in/ between injuries. Although electrocutions remained the third leading cause of death in construction, such deaths decreased by 39% between 2003 and 2015, suggesting effective interventions. Overall, older construction workers had an elevated risk for fatal injuries caused by the Focus Four. (Results will be updated to cover the 2016 data). Discussion: This study identifies worker groups and occupations with high risk of the fatal four hazards in construction. Enhanced hazard controls and interventions are needed to improve construction safety and health overall.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Acids Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Preceptorship Safety
• Keywords:
  Construction Industry Construction Workers Demographic Characteristics Electrocutions Epidemiology Falls Fatalities Intervention Mortality Data Occupations
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Abstract
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  94-95
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062989
• Citation:
  National Occupational Injury Research Symposium 2018, (NOIRS 2018), October 16-18, 2018, Morgantown, West Virginia. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2018 Oct; :94-95
• Contact Point Address:
  Xiuwen Sue Dong, DrPH, Data Center Director, CPWR - The Center for Construction Research & Training, 8484 Georgia Ave, Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910
• Email:
  SDong@cpwr.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  National Occupational Injury Research Symposium 2018, (NOIRS 2018), October 16-18, 2018, Morgantown, West Virginia
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5d12eee6b8c8b36e1cdc144f6893a36979b4e5950bc426c333b035452019e0406f19cc2fd8e96916fb823c8d0b5817427146fa5ace3a71fea1a4b36660579f2b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/181907/cdc_181907_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 41.03 KB ]