Housekeeping in the Construction Industry Stats and Facts

FACTS

  1. Each day, on average, two construction workers die of work-related injuries by lack of housekeeping in the United States. In fact, one in five workplace fatalities are construction-related.
  2. The top causes of construction-related fatalities are falls, struck-by an object, electrocution and caught between objects, falls and slips as a result of poor housekeeping.
  3. Despite advances in construction safety equipment, technology and training, the construction industry continues to face high rates of fatal and non-fatal injuries and accidents among its workers.
  4. For example, 20 percent of worker deaths in the United States are in construction, but construction workers make up only 6 percent of the U.S. labor force. This disparity highlights the need for a continued push to improve safety on the job for those working in the construction industry.

STATS

  • According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in recent years, there are more than 800 injuries annually involving floors, walkways, and ground surfaces. OSHA issues hundreds of citations to companies for violations of poor housekeeping and OSHA lists housekeeping on their top 100 most frequently cited list.
  • According to the National Safety Council (Itasca, IL), “Falls are one of the leading causes of unintentional injuries in the United States, accounting for approximately 8.9 million visits to the emergency department annually (NSC Injury Facts 2011).”
  • In 2016, 18% of 658 HSA workplace visits found the slips, trips and falls risk assessment had not identified all reasonable precautions to prevent trips or falls on walkways
  • In 2016, action was taken in 84% of 655 HSA workplace visits where the employer failed to put in place all reasonable precautions to prevent trips or falls on walkways
  • Slips, trips and falls were the second leading cause of nonfatal occupational injuries or illnesses involving days away from work in 2013, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • Housekeeping is crucial to safe workplaces. It can help prevent injuries and improve productivity and morale, as well as make a good first impression on visitors, according to Cari Gray, safety consultant for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.