Residents in California who work in the construction industry or who have loved ones employed in a construction job know that the risk of experiencing an injury can be quite high on a job site. There are laws and regulations in place that mandate certain safety protocol and training processes but there is also the need for companies to properly follow those and create a true culture of safety. Sadly, this does not always seem to happen.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more than 5,100 work-related fatalities across the United States in 2017 alone. This was in addition to the more than 2.8 million work-related injuries recorded that same year.
In California, 376 employees died in 2017 due to job-related injuries. Nearly 19% of those fatalities occurred in the construction industry sector. This industry has long identified the factors that are often found to be involved in workplace accidents, regardless of whether they result in injuries or fatalities. These are exposure to harmful substances, contact with objects, falls and transportation.
In 2017, eight construction workers died due to exposure incidents and 10 lives were lost in events in which the worker came into contact with some type of object. Another 14 deaths resulted from accidents involving transportation equipment. Falls, trips or slips were found to be the factors that caused the death of 34 California construction workers in 2017. The number of people dying every year makes it clear that more should be done to enforce safe practices and help employees seek the justice and compensation they deserve.