Fact Sheet Collects Resources for Preventing Fall Injuries, Deaths in Construction

A new fact sheet published by NIOSH provides information to help employers, safety professionals, and workers prevent fall injuries and deaths from roofs, ladders, and scaffolds. According to the agency, falls are the leading cause of construction worker deaths. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that 81 percent of deaths from roof falls, 57 percent of deaths from ladder falls, and 86 percent of deaths from scaffold falls occur in the construction industry. Factors that contribute to falls from roofs include worker inexperience or lack of training, no use of personal fall protection, and working during inclement weather. Ladder overloading and improper ladder selection are among factors that contribute to falls from ladders in construction. Some factors that contribute to scaffold falls include no fall protection program, unstable work surface, no use of guardrails, and working alone from heights during off hours.

NIOSH’s fact sheet includes recommendations to prevent falls in construction and lists agency resources to help keep construction workers safe on the job. The document also provides links to relevant reports from the agency’s Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program.

The new fact sheet is available on NIOSH’s website.