Preventing Fatal Falls in Construction

Construction is a potentially high hazard industry for those who work in it, with falls at the top of the hazards list. In fact, falls are the most frequent cause of fatalities at construction sites and annually account for one of every three construction-related deaths. Although there are commonly available methods for preventing falls, the number of construction workers who fall to their deaths has increased in recent years. According to preliminary 2007 fatality data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were at least 442 construction worker fatalities during 2007 as a result of falls from all causes.

Of this total falls from roofs are one specific concern at construction sites and the most frequent cause for fatal falls in construction in 2007. In fact, BLS reports that from 2003 to 2007, construction worker falls from roofs resulted in 686 fatalities.

OSHA has a list of resources to help those who work in the construction industry identify actions they should take to prevent construction-related falls.

The information listed below provides a variety of links related to construction falls and a variety of means to prevent them. QuickCards followed by an asterisk (*) denote those QuickCards containing information specific to the prevention of falls relating to roofs.