Lessons Learned from Accident Reports of Falls in the US Construction Industry

Abstract

Falls from height is one of the leading causes of fatal and non-fatal accidents in the US construction industry. As many accidents are due to system failure, analyzing accident reports can reveal underlying system failures and provide insights for developing effective control measures. This paper examined 100 full-text accident investigation reports compiled by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) through the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program to explore the characteristics of the fall fatalities and learn about common trends in the accidents. Looking beyond quantitative information related to accidents, this paper presents the salient features of the accidents, demographics of the victims, and background of the victims’ employers. Further analyses reveal that victims’ actions and behaviors were critical causal factors. This research also suggest that lack of safety training programs might have contributed to the lack of awareness and unsafe behaviors of the victims.