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A look at falls, slips, and trips in the construction industry

May 04, 2022

The National Safety Stand-Down To Prevent Falls in Construction runs from May 2 through May 6 and highlights fall hazards and fall prevention in the construction industry. In 2020, more than 1 in 5 workplace deaths occurred in the construction industry. Just over one-third of the deaths in this industry were due to falls, slips, and trips, and were almost entirely from falls to a lower level. The construction industry accounted for 46.1 percent of all fatal falls, slips, and trips in 2020, similar to previous years shown in the chart.

Number of fatal work injuries in the construction industry by selected events or exposures, all ownerships, 2016–20
Event or exposure 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Total construction

1,034 1,013 1,038 1,102 1,034

Total falls, slips, trips

388 389 340 418 371

Falls to lower level

372 367 321 401 353

Falls on same level

11 17 16 12 9

Within the private construction industry, nonfatal injuries and illnesses that resulted from falls, slips, and trips occurred at a rate of 31.4 per 10,000 full-time workers in 2020. The rate across all private industry was 21.7. Nonfatal workplace injuries or illnesses resulting from falls to a lower level happened at a rate of 15.7 in the construction industry, the rate for private industry at large was 5.1.

Rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers by selected events or exposures and industries, private industry, 2020
Event or exposure All private industry Construction

Total falls, slips, trips

21.7 31.4

Fall to lower level

5.1 15.7

Fall on the same level

13.1 10.2

Slips, trips without fall

3.1 4.7

These data are from the Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program. To learn more about fatal injuries, see “National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2020.” We also have more charts on fatal work injuries. To learn more about nonfatal injuries and illnesses, see “Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses – 2020” and charts on nonfatal injuries and illnesses

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, A look at falls, slips, and trips in the construction industry at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2022/a-look-at-falls-slips-and-trips-in-the-construction-industry.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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