Fatal falls and PFAS use in the construction industry: Findings from the NIOSH FACE reports

Abstract

This study analyzed the Construction FACE Database (CFD), a quantitative database developed from reports of the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The CFD contains detailed data on 768 fatalities in the construction industry reported by NIOSH and individual states from 1982 through June 30, 2015. The results show that falls accounted for 42% (325) of the 768 fatalities included in the CFD. Personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) were not available to more than half of the fall decedents (54%); nearly one in four fall decedents (23%) had access to PFAS, but were not using it at the time of the fall. Lack of access to PFAS was particularly high among residential building contractors as well as roofing, siding, and sheet metal industry sectors (~70%). Although the findings may not represent the entire construction industry today, they do provide strong evidence in favor of fall protection requirements by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In addition to stronger enforcement, educating employers and workers about the importance and effectiveness of fall protection is crucial for compliance and fall prevention.

Falls from height: analysis of 114 cases

“…Serious consequences were represented in a high number of cases, the permanent disability was encountered in 17 (≈15%), while deaths in 41 (≈36% of all analyzed cases). The fatal falls from a height above 9.1 m were responsible for 33.9% of fatal falls, which is in accordance with the findings from another study where falls above 9.1 m (30 feet in the article) were accounted for more than one-third of fatal falls (Dong et al, 2017). Figure 4 illustrates the severity of the consequence depending on fall height (distance) and the percentage of occurrence of each consequence.…”

Migrant Workers and Their Occupational Health and Safety

“…Workers employed in construction are subject to hazards from work involving high elevations, large cutting tools, and heavy lifting (76). Falls accounted for 43% of fatal injuries in the construction industry (24). Fatalities often occur as a result of machinery, resulting in 770 annual average deaths in the US construction industry.…”

Fatal work‐related falls in the United States, 2003‐2014

“…Finally, CFOI does not provide a description of the cause of a fall injury, but rather includes classifications of events and sources. Other studies have provided more detailed causation explanations, specifically among construction workers and personal fall arrest system use among construction workers …”

“…FACE conducts investigations to identify risk factors associated with work‐related fatalities including those due to falls. NIOSH and participating states create public reports from these investigations which include key recommendations to prevent similar fatalities, particularly in construction . Other fall prevention programs have evolved into sophisticated approaches such as social marketing to reach targeted worker populations, ladder safety applications for smartphones, assessing slippery conditions to choose the best flooring or footwear, and focusing on green energy construction and maintenance (which may pose new fall risks or prevention opportunities)…”