Those who work in construction face a high degree of danger. This industry does not have the highest rate of fatal accidents, but it does have the highest total of them every year. This has given it a reputation as a very risky industry to work in, and there are also many people who get injured in accidents that do not necessarily have fatal ramifications.
While there are many different ways to be injured on a construction site, there are four that stand out and have been termed the “Fatal Four” of the construction industry. It’s important for workers to know what these are so that they can address any concerns and try to stay safe on the job.
1. Injuries from falls
Most common are severe injuries suffered in falls. Some of these are simple slip-and-fall accidents, but many involve falls from heights, such as falling from a roof or a ladder.
2. Getting “caught between” two objects
Injuries can also happen when workers are caught between two devices or two parts of heavy machinery. These accidents also often involve vehicles.
3. Getting struck by an object
Workers are sometimes fatally injured by when they’re struck by an object, such as when something falls from above and causes a traumatic head injury. For example, materials or tools could be dropped from a higher level.
4. Electrocution injuries
Finally, many construction projects involve electrical wiring. Even with modern safety systems in place, it can be very dangerous to install this wiring and electrocutions do happen. They are the least common, however.
Know All Of Your Options After A Jobsite Injury
At construction sites, there can be a lot of different contractors working at construction sites. And if a worker is injured due to someone else’s negligence, then they may have a 3rd party personal injury case against the at-fault party’s company, if they are a completely different entity than the company the injured worker was working for at the time of the injury. Conversely, if the injury was not due to anyone else’s negligence, or a co-worker from the same company, then a WC claim would be their only remedy.
Those who have lost loved ones in construction accidents or suffered serious injuries themselves need to know how to seek financial compensation.