Establishing the Link Between Construction Fatalities and Disabling Injuries and the Design for Construction Safety Concept

Details

• Personal Author:
  Behm M
• Description:
  Construction remains the most hazardous industry in the United States in terms of the aggregate number of fatalities. Twenty percent of all occupational related fatalities occur in construction; approximately three construction workers die per calendar day. Moreover, this trend has been prevalent for too long. One method to reduce this trend is to involve architects and design engineers in considering construction safety during the design process. The concept of designing for construction safety is a viable intervention to improve worker safety. However, in the United States many barriers (legal, contractual, regulatory) exist that prevent this intervention from becoming part of a standard practice within the construction industry. Four-hundred and fifty construction accidents from two databases were analyzed and a link to the design for construction safety concept was determined. An objective investigation model was developed to make these determinations. A significant link between the concept of designing for construction safety and construction fatalities and disabling injuries was established. Specific construction project parameters linked to the concept of designing for construction safety include the minimization of risk due to falls through and from roofs, skylights and structural steel construction; and the minimization of risk due of contact with electric and other utilities. It is recommended that the concept of designing for construction safety be considered by regulatory agencies, insurance companies, and the United States' construction industry as one intervention of a comprehensive safety agenda to reduce the disproportionate number of fatalities and disabling injuries. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Construction Industry Mortality Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Construction Industry Falls Fatalities Intervention Occupational Hazards Prevention Through Design PTD Safety Engineering Traumatic Injuries Worker Safety
• Publisher:
  Oregon State University
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Dissertation
• Place as Subject:
  Oregon ; OSHA Region 10
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-140
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054649
• Citation:
  Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University, 2004 Jul; :1-140
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2004
• Performing Organization:
  Oregon State University
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20020701
• Source Full Name:
  Establishing the link between construction fatalities and disabling injuries and the design for construction safety concept
• End Date:
  20060620
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5983212830307b56da31e3ca9d957b29e906103bb5871c3304944aa5404ad3461b5ea686df4c12a7523edf72741cb4720234242b30333f60b77a6ec61a8b7dcb
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217122/cdc_217122_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.69 MB ]