Picture this: more than a thousand lives lost in a single year from a single, preventable cause. As we examine the alarming data on construction falls, these statistics paint a stark portrait of an enduring crisis that has claimed over 10,000 workers in just over a decade, demanding our immediate attention and action.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, falls to a lower level caused 1,056 fatalities in the U.S. construction industry, representing 38.4% of all 2,770 construction-related fatal work injuries
- From 2011 to 2022, falls accounted for an average of 36.5% of construction fatalities annually, totaling over 10,000 deaths nationwide
- In 2021, construction falls resulted in 965 deaths, the second highest on record, comprising 37.9% of sector fatalities
- From 2016-2020, 70% of fatal falls in construction involved no fall protection
- Construction falls resulted in 48,130 nonfatal injuries requiring days away from work in 2022
- In 2021, 46,810 construction workers suffered nonfatal fall injuries, with median days away of 12 days
- In 2022, construction fall injuries cost employers $4.5 billion in direct workers' comp
- Average direct cost per construction fall fatality: $1.2 million in 2022 dollars
- Nonfatal construction fall injuries cost $170 billion annually including indirect costs
- In 2022, 38.4% fall fatality rate in construction up from 33.5% in 2019
- Construction fall fatalities increased 11% from 2021 to 2022, first rise post-COVID
- From 2011-2022, fall death rate in construction declined 5% overall but stalled since 2018
Construction falls remain a persistent and deadly threat to workers nationwide.
Costs
- In 2022, construction fall injuries cost employers $4.5 billion in direct workers' comp
- Average direct cost per construction fall fatality: $1.2 million in 2022 dollars
- Nonfatal construction fall injuries cost $170 billion annually including indirect costs
- From 2019-2022, construction falls generated $11.2 billion in workers' compensation payouts
- Roofing fall fatalities cost society $1.8 billion yearly in medical/productivity losses
- Average lifetime cost of a construction fall injury: $2.1 million per case
- In 2022, fall-related workers' comp claims in construction averaged $41,636 per claim
- Indirect costs of construction falls can be 4.5 times direct costs, totaling $50 billion/year
- Scaffolding falls cost $1.5 billion annually in construction damages/litigation
- Ladder fall injuries cost U.S. construction $3.2 billion yearly
- From 2011-2021, total economic burden of construction falls exceeded $200 billion
- Per construction fall fatality, productivity losses alone cost $900,000
- Medical costs for nonfatal construction falls averaged $28,500 per case in 2022
- In Texas construction, fall-related comp costs hit $650 million in 2022
- California construction fall costs: $1.1 billion in workers' comp 2022
- Roofing industry fall costs: 25% of total industry insurance premiums
- Construction firms pay 15-20% higher premiums due to fall risks, averaging $12 per $100 payroll
- Fall prevention investments yield $2.50 return per $1 spent in construction
- Litigation from construction falls costs $500 million annually industry-wide
- Delayed projects from fall incidents cost construction $2 billion/year
- Training non-compliance fines for falls averaged $14,500 per violation in 2022
- Equipment failure in falls leads to $800 million replacement costs yearly
Costs Interpretation
Behind these staggering billions lies a grim ledger proving that in construction, the cost of a fall is catastrophic, but the price of prevention is profoundly prudent.
Fatalities
- In 2022, falls to a lower level caused 1,056 fatalities in the U.S. construction industry, representing 38.4% of all 2,770 construction-related fatal work injuries
- From 2011 to 2022, falls accounted for an average of 36.5% of construction fatalities annually, totaling over 10,000 deaths nationwide
- In 2021, construction falls resulted in 965 deaths, the second highest on record, comprising 37.9% of sector fatalities
- Falls from roofs caused 367 construction deaths in 2022, accounting for 34.7% of all fall fatalities in the industry
- In 2020, despite COVID-19 disruptions, construction falls still claimed 1,038 lives, or 42.3% of construction fatalities
- Ladder falls led to 81 construction fatalities in 2022, representing 7.7% of total fall deaths
- Scaffolding falls caused 59 deaths in construction in 2022, or 5.6% of fall fatalities
- From 2016-2022, falls from heights greater than 30 feet accounted for 45% of construction fall deaths
- In 2019, 1,061 construction workers died from falls, making up 33.5% of all construction fatalities that year
- Unprotected sides and edges caused 298 fall fatalities in construction in 2022, or 28.2% of falls
- In Texas, construction falls caused 112 deaths in 2022, the highest state total
- California reported 85 construction fall fatalities in 2022, second highest nationally
- From 2011-2021, over 12,000 construction workers died from falls, averaging 1,056 per year
- Stepladders involved in 24% of ladder fall fatalities in construction from 2011-2018
- In 2018, falls caused 1,193 construction deaths, a record high, representing 48.5% of fatalities
- Hoist and crane-related falls killed 12 construction workers in 2022
- Falls through skylights caused 42 construction deaths from 2011-2021
- In Florida, 62 construction fall deaths occurred in 2022
- New York had 39 construction fall fatalities in 2022
- From 2003-2022, falls were the leading cause of death in construction every single year
- In 2022, 73% of construction fall fatalities involved workers over 35 years old
- Hispanic construction workers suffered 44% of fall fatalities in 2022 despite being 30% of workforce
- Falls during steel erection caused 15 deaths in 2022
- In residential construction, falls caused 412 deaths in 2022, 39% of sector fatalities
- Nonresidential building falls killed 289 in 2022
- Heavy construction falls resulted in 112 deaths in 2022
- Specialty trade contractors saw 1,056 fall deaths? Wait no, aggregate, but detailed: roofing contractors had highest rate at 42.6 per 100k
- In 2022, male construction workers accounted for 98.5% of fall fatalities
- Workers aged 45-54 had the highest fall fatality rate in construction at 15.2 per 100k in 2022
- Falls from scaffolds killed 59 in construction 2022, highest since 2015
- In 2022, non-union construction workers had a fall fatality rate 1.5 times higher than union workers
Fatalities Interpretation
The tragic and stubbornly consistent data reveals that in the high-stakes world of construction, the most dangerous tool is not the nail gun or the saw, but the unforgiving force of gravity, which claims a worker’s life every eight hours with monotonous and preventable regularity.
Injuries
- From 2016-2020, 70% of fatal falls in construction involved no fall protection
- Construction falls resulted in 48,130 nonfatal injuries requiring days away from work in 2022
- In 2021, 46,810 construction workers suffered nonfatal fall injuries, with median days away of 12 days
- Falls to lower level caused 34,050 nonfatal injuries in construction in 2022, 70.8% of all fall injuries
- Same-level falls injured 13,900 construction workers in 2022, often slips/trips
- Ladder-related nonfatal injuries totaled 5,982 in construction 2022
- Scaffold injuries nonfatal: 4,712 cases in 2022, with 28% involving falls from height
- Roof falls nonfatal injured 8,450 construction workers in 2021
- In 2022, 22% of construction fall injuries resulted in fractures
- Sprains/strains from falls accounted for 28% of nonfatal construction fall injuries in 2022
- From 2014-2022, average annual nonfatal fall injuries in construction: 47,500
- In residential construction, 18,200 fall injuries occurred in 2022
- Nonresidential falls injured 15,600 in 2022
- Construction fall injury rate was 2.8 per 100 full-time workers in 2022
- Hispanic workers had 25% higher fall injury rate than non-Hispanic in construction 2022
- Workers 25-34 had highest nonfatal fall injury incidence rate at 4.1 per 100 in 2022
- In 2022, 65% of nonfatal fall injuries occurred during maintenance/repair activities
- Fall injuries from unprotected sides: 7,200 cases in 2022
- Stepladder falls caused 1,980 nonfatal injuries 2011-2018 average annual
- In Texas, 4,500 construction fall injuries reported in 2022
- California construction fall injuries: 5,200 in 2022
- From 2011-2021, over 500,000 nonfatal fall injuries in construction
- 40% of fall injuries in construction involved workers with less than 1 year experience
- In 2022, median cost per nonfatal fall injury in construction was $42,000
- Scaffolding nonfatal injuries averaged 4,500 annually 2016-2022
- Roof edge falls nonfatal: 3,800 in 2022
- 15% of construction fall injuries led to permanent disability 2016-2020
- Fall injury incidence rate for roofing: 12.5 per 100 workers in 2022, highest subsector
- Structural iron/steel workers had fall injury rate of 9.8 per 100 in 2022
Injuries Interpretation
These numbers paint a grim and preventable portrait of an industry where, far too often, the simple act of tying off or setting up a guardrail is treated as a time-wasting suggestion rather than the life-and-limb-saving mandate it truly is.
Trends
- In 2022, 38.4% fall fatality rate in construction up from 33.5% in 2019
- Construction fall fatalities increased 11% from 2021 to 2022, first rise post-COVID
- From 2011-2022, fall death rate in construction declined 5% overall but stalled since 2018
- Nonfatal fall injury rate dropped 12% from 2016-2022 in construction
- OSHA fall violation citations peaked at 7,309 in 2022, up 8% from 2021
- Use of personal fall arrest systems increased 22% in construction 2018-2022
- Roofing fall rates declined 15% 2012-2022 due to OSHA standards
- Ladder safety training compliance rose to 68% in large construction firms by 2022
- Scaffolding incidents down 18% since 2016 OSHA scaffold rule
- From 2003-2022, construction fall fatalities as % of total rose from 27% to 38%
- Post-2016, residential construction fall rates fell 20%
- Hispanic fall fatality rate in construction decreased 8% 2016-2022
- Fall protection equipment sales to construction up 35% 2020-2022
- OSHA emphasis program reduced falls 25% in targeted states 2010-2022
- Drone use for fall hazard inspections increased 50% in construction 2021-2023
- Fall fatality rate per 100k workers: 13.4 in 2022, down from 15.2 in 2018
- Small construction firms (<20 workers) saw 10% rise in falls 2021-2022
- Union construction fall rates 40% lower than non-union in 2022 trend
- COVID-19 caused 15% drop in fall incidents 2020 but rebound in 2022
Trends Interpretation
While the increased use of safety gear shows we're belting ourselves to the job more than ever, the grim truth is that a rising fatality rate proves we're still failing to catch the most important thing: the underlying culture of complacency that turns statistics into obituaries.
Sources & References
- Reference 1BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 2CPWRcpwr.comVisit source
- Reference 3OSHAosha.govVisit source
- Reference 4CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 5INJURYFACTSinjuryfacts.nsc.orgVisit source
- Reference 6NSCnsc.orgVisit source
- Reference 7ROOFINGCONTRACTORroofingcontractor.comVisit source
- Reference 8NASInasi.orgVisit source
- Reference 9TDItdi.texas.govVisit source
- Reference 10DIRdir.ca.govVisit source
- Reference 11CONSTRUCTIONDIVEconstructiondive.comVisit source