While every day on a construction site brings its own dangers, the stark reality is that one of every five workplace deaths in America happens in this industry, claiming over a thousand lives in 2022 alone.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, construction workers experienced 1,056 fatal injuries, accounting for 19.9% of all workplace fatalities in the US.
- The construction industry had a fatal injury rate of 13.1 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2022.
- Falls to a lower level caused 395 construction fatalities in 2022, representing 37.4% of construction deaths.
- Construction nonfatal injury rate was 2.1 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2022.
- In 2022, construction had 150,360 nonfatal injuries and illnesses with days away from work.
- Sprains, strains, tears accounted for 32.4% of construction nonfatal cases in 2022.
- Falls, slips, trips caused 47% of nonfatal construction injuries in 2022.
- Overexertion and bodily reaction: 34% of construction nonfatal days-away cases 2022.
- Struck by object or equipment: 17% of construction nonfatal injuries 2022.
- Construction workers aged 25-34 had 32% of nonfatal injuries in 2022.
- Males comprised 92% of construction injury cases in 2022.
- Hispanic workers: 30% of construction nonfatal injuries 2022.
- Construction costs $170 billion annually in US due to injuries 2022.
- Fatalities cost $1.4 million per death in construction.
- Nonfatal injury average cost: $42,000 per case 2022.
Construction injury statistics show many dangerous risks but also progress through improved safety standards.
Causes of Injuries
- Falls, slips, trips caused 47% of nonfatal construction injuries in 2022.
- Overexertion and bodily reaction: 34% of construction nonfatal days-away cases 2022.
- Struck by object or equipment: 17% of construction nonfatal injuries 2022.
- Contact with objects/equipment: 15% of cases 2022.
- Exposure to harmful substances: 3% of construction injuries 2022.
- Caught in/between: 5% of nonfatal construction cases 2022.
- Lifting caused 22% of overexertion injuries in construction 2022.
- Slips without fall: 4% of construction nonfatal 2022.
- Trips without fall: 3.5% of cases 2022.
- Nail gun injuries: 3,700 annually average 2011-2021 in construction.
- Power tool cuts: 12% of hand injuries in construction.
- Scaffold-related injuries: 4,500 nonfatal annually.
- Ladder incidents: 20% of fall injuries from same level.
- Trenching injuries: 500 nonfatal caught-in cases yearly.
- Crane strikes: 71 nonfatal injuries 2011-2021.
- Welding burns: 2,100 eye injuries annually.
- Silica exposure respiratory cases: 1,200 in construction yearly.
- Asbestos-related non-acute injuries: 800 cases reported.
- Heat-related illnesses: 450 cases in construction 2022.
- Noise-induced hearing loss claims: 2,500 annually.
- Vehicle backs-over: 1,200 struck-by cases yearly.
- Forklift tip-overs: 300 injuries in construction.
- Electrical shocks nonfatal: 1,800 cases 2022.
- Inhalation of fumes: 900 respiratory cases 2022.
- Manual material handling: 40% of musculoskeletal disorders.
Causes of Injuries Interpretation
The construction site is a masterclass in chaotic physics, where gravity is the leading cause of insults, your own body is its own worst enemy, and the inanimate objects around you have a surprising, and statistically significant, vendetta.
Fatalities
- In 2022, construction workers experienced 1,056 fatal injuries, accounting for 19.9% of all workplace fatalities in the US.
- The construction industry had a fatal injury rate of 13.1 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2022.
- Falls to a lower level caused 395 construction fatalities in 2022, representing 37.4% of construction deaths.
- Struck by object or equipment resulted in 151 construction fatalities in 2022.
- From 2011-2022, construction saw an average of 1,028 fatalities per year.
- In 2021, 964 construction workers died on the job, a rate of 12.2 per 100,000 workers.
- Hispanic or Latino construction workers had 424 fatalities in 2022, 40% of total construction deaths.
- In New York, construction fatalities numbered 53 in 2022, highest among states proportionally.
- Roofers had a fatality rate of 51.8 per 100,000 in 2022, highest in construction.
- Structural iron and steel workers fatalities: 26.2 per 100,000 in 2022.
- From 2013-2022, 10,480 construction fatalities occurred, averaging 1,048 annually.
- Electrocutions caused 73 construction deaths in 2022, 6.9% of total.
- Caught-in/between incidents led to 46 construction fatalities in 2022.
- In 2020, construction fatalities dropped to 1,008 due to COVID slowdowns.
- Texas reported 107 construction fatalities in 2022.
- Older workers (55+) accounted for 30% of construction fatalities in 2022.
- In Canada, construction had 26 fatalities in 2021, rate of 8.7 per 100,000.
- UK construction fatalities: 29 in 2022/23, rate 1.61 per 100,000 workers.
- Australia construction fatalities: 24 in 2022, highest industry.
- In 2019, 1,061 construction fatalities in US, peak recent year.
- Crane-related fatalities: 29 in construction 2011-2021 average.
- Trench collapse fatalities: 166 in construction 2011-2022.
- Ladder falls caused 81 construction fatalities 2011-2022.
- Scaffolding fatalities: 89 from 2011-2022 in construction.
- Highway work zone construction fatalities: 871 from 2012-2021.
- In 2022, 112 construction fatalities from falls from roofs.
- Machinery-related construction deaths: 128 in 2022.
- Fire/explosion caused 9 construction fatalities in 2022.
- Violence/overexertion rare but 12 construction fatalities in 2022.
- In 2022, private construction fatalities totaled 1,050 of 1,056.
Fatalities Interpretation
The grim mathematics of construction reveal an industry where a worker is statistically more likely to be killed by the law of gravity than by any law of the land, with falls accounting for over a third of deaths in a field that, year after grim year, averages the chilling equivalent of a fully occupied commercial airliner crashing with no survivors.
Non-Fatal Injuries
- Construction nonfatal injury rate was 2.1 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2022.
- In 2022, construction had 150,360 nonfatal injuries and illnesses with days away from work.
- Sprains, strains, tears accounted for 32.4% of construction nonfatal cases in 2022.
- Soreness/pain cases: 20.3% of construction nonfatal injuries in 2022.
- Cuts, lacerations, punctures: 13.1% of construction nonfatal cases 2022.
- Fractures represented 8.7% of nonfatal construction injuries in 2022.
- In 2022, median days away from work for construction injuries: 12 days.
- Overexertion caused 24.7% of nonfatal days-away cases in construction 2022.
- Falls on same level: 15.8% of construction nonfatal injuries 2022.
- Struck by object: 17.2% of construction nonfatal cases 2022.
- From 2011-2021, average 172,000 nonfatal construction injuries annually.
- Eye injuries in construction: 4,100 cases with days away in 2022.
- Back injuries: 38,200 cases in construction 2022.
- Shoulder injuries: 19,500 nonfatal cases in construction 2022.
- Hand injuries: 22,800 cases with days away in construction 2022.
- In 2021, construction nonfatal rate 2.2 per 100 workers.
- Carpenters had 18,900 nonfatal injuries in 2022.
- Laborers nonfatal injuries: 35,600 in 2022.
- Electricians: 12,400 nonfatal cases 2022.
- Roofers nonfatal rate: 4.8 per 100 workers 2022.
- In UK, construction nonfatal injuries: 65,000 in 2022/23.
- Canada construction nonfatal claims: 12,460 in 2021.
- Australia construction serious claims: 7,200 in 2022.
- Knee injuries in construction: 8,900 cases 2022.
- Ankle injuries: 6,200 nonfatal cases 2022.
- Head injuries excluding eyes: 4,500 cases 2022.
- Falls to lower level nonfatal: 17,100 cases in construction 2022.
- Contact with electric current nonfatal: 1,200 cases 2022.
- In 2022, 27.5% of construction nonfatal cases involved days away, restricted, or transferred work.
Non-Fatal Injuries Interpretation
The construction industry’s annual injury report is essentially a grim, statistically-verified plea for better boots, sharper minds, and stricter safety rules, where every sprain, fall, and puncture proves that “working hard” shouldn’t mean getting hurt hard.
Trends and Costs
- Construction costs $170 billion annually in US due to injuries 2022.
- Fatalities cost $1.4 million per death in construction.
- Nonfatal injury average cost: $42,000 per case 2022.
- Workers' comp costs for construction: $15 billion yearly.
- Fall injuries cost $4.7 billion annually in construction.
- Struck-by costs: $2.1 billion per year.
- OSHA fines for construction violations: $150 million in 2022.
- Injury rates declined 30% from 2012-2022 in construction.
- Fatal rate increased 11% from 2021-2022 to 13.1.
- PPE non-use contributes to 60% of hand injuries, cost savings potential $1B.
- Training ROI: $4 saved per $1 spent on safety training.
- UK construction injury costs: £5.8 billion in 2022/23.
- Canada workers' comp payouts construction: $1.2 billion CAD 2021.
- Australia construction claims cost: AUD 1.5 billion 2022.
- Musculoskeletal disorders cost $1 billion yearly in construction.
- Absenteeism from injuries: 2.5 million lost workdays annually.
- Productivity loss: 37% of injury costs.
- Medical costs: 23% of total injury expenses.
- Indemnity costs: 40% of construction injury totals.
- Silica regulations saved $12 billion in health costs projected.
- Crane certification reduced incidents 20%, saving $500M.
- From 1992-2022, construction fatal rate halved from 25 to 13.
- Nonfatal rates from 4.2 to 2.1 per 100 workers 2003-2022.
- COVID-19 added 1,000 respiratory illnesses in construction 2020-2021.
- Climate change projected to increase heat injuries 20% by 2030.
Trends and Costs Interpretation
The brutal math of construction safety reveals a staggering $170 billion annual toll where every saved dollar in training saves four, yet a lethal complacency persists as fatalities rise despite decades of progress.
Worker Characteristics
- Construction workers aged 25-34 had 32% of nonfatal injuries in 2022.
- Males comprised 92% of construction injury cases in 2022.
- Hispanic workers: 30% of construction nonfatal injuries 2022.
- White non-Hispanic: 55% of construction injuries 2022.
- Workers aged 45-54: 22% of injuries 2022.
- Apprentices: 2x injury rate of experienced workers.
- Immigrant workers: 25% higher injury rate in construction.
- Union workers had 15% lower injury rates than non-union.
- Self-employed construction workers: 40% of fatalities disproportionately.
- Carpenters median age 41, injury peak at 35-44.
- Laborers: 1.8 million employed, 25% under 25 years old.
- Women: 10.9% of construction workforce, 8% of injuries.
- Black workers: 7% of workforce, 6% of injuries 2022.
- Asian workers: 3% of construction injuries 2022.
- Workers 65+: 5% of workforce, 8% of fatalities.
- High school education only: 60% of injured workers.
- Temporary workers: 20% higher injury rates.
- Night shift workers: 30% more fall injuries.
- Small firms (<20 workers): 50% of injuries despite 30% workforce.
- In UK, 18-24 year olds: 25% of construction injuries.
- Canada: New workers (<1 year) 25% of injuries.
- Australia: Migrant workers 18% higher claims rate.
- Veterans in construction: 15% of workforce, similar injury rates.
- Disabled workers: 4% of workforce, 12% higher injury risk.
- Language barriers: 2.5x injury rate for limited English.
Worker Characteristics Interpretation
These statistics paint a picture of an industry where inexperience, vulnerability, and a lack of protection—whether from language barriers, precarious employment, or non-union status—are the most reliable predictors of getting hurt.
Sources & References
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