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Construction and Iron Worker Jobs are Still the Most Dangerous
Workplace injuries and fatalities can occur in any field—and those in construction are especially prone due to exposure to more dangerous situations than most jobs. A number of construction jobs recently ranked in the top 25 most dangerous jobs in the U.S. in a study by AdvisorSmith, which analyzed the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries for 2019. According to the study, on-the-job deaths have been increasing in recent years, going from 4,836 in 2015 to 5,333 deaths in 2019, an increase of 10% over the five-year period and a 2% increase from 5,250 in 2018.
Structural iron and steel workers ranked ninth on the list with 18 total fatal occupational injuries in 2019. This compares to last year’s report, which ranked the group sixth on the list with 15 total fatal occupational injuries in 2018.
Its fatal injury rate was 27 per 100,000 workers. The most common events or exposures leading to injury were falls, slips and trips.
Other construction industry occupants that made the list include roofers (3), construction helpers (4), construction supervisors (13), construction workers (19), construction equipment operators (20) and crane operators (23).
According to the BLS, fatal falls, slips and trips increased 11% in 2019 to 880. Transportation incidents remained the leading cause of fatal injuries, accounting for 2,122 worker deaths.
Five More Achieve NACC Certification
Forty-five glazing contractors have now completed the North American Contractor Certification (NACC) program. R.E. Krug Corp. of North Tonawanda, N.Y., is the first glazing contractor in the Buffalo, N.Y., metropolitan region and Oahu Metal & Glazing LLC of Honolulu is the first in Hawaii. AGP Inc. is the first in Kansas City. Sterling Glass Inc. of Buffalo, N.Y., was the 44th glazing contractor to achieve the credential and the sixth in New York, while Aragon of Montclair, Calif., was the 45th contractor in North America and tenth in California.
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