According to the Bureau of labor Statistics, about 150,000 construction accidents happen every year ...

1. Top 4 Causes of Construction Accidents
According to the Bureau of labor Statistics, about 150,000 construction accidents happen every year
in the United States.
This results to about 1,000 deaths due to various construction mishaps, which makes it the most
dangerous industry in the United States.
The risk of injury and/or death is so high, that in fact, about 15 percent of all workers' compensation
claims in the state of California is related to construction accidents.
But what are the most common causes of injuries in construction sites?
To answer that, here are the most common construction accidents according to the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):
1. Fall Accidents
The leading cause of injuries and death in the construction industry are slip, trip and fall accidents.
In fact, it is so common that it comprises one-third of all the construction related deaths in the
country.
The most common cause of slip, trip and fall accidents include:
Wall openings
Floor holes
Unprotected sides
Defective or misused portable ladders
Improper construction of scaffolding platforms
Protruding steel rebars.
2. Struck by Equipment and Machineries
Another common cause of construction related injuries and deaths are being struck by heavy
machinery or other objects in the site.
The three most common "struck by" accidents in construction sites include:
Vehicles (bulldozers, cement truck, forklift, crane)

2. Falling objects (rocks, steel, tools, other equipment and machineries)
Collapsing masonry walls
3. Cave in accidents
One of the most feared accidents in the construction industry is cave-ins due to various trenching
hazards.
The danger is so great in excavation work that most safety experts say that the risk of death is
doubled compared to general construction.
Aside from being trapped by falling soil and rocks, workers are also in danger of asphyxiation due to
lack of oxygen, be poisoned due to inhalation of toxic fumes and even drowning due to accumulated
water below the ground.
The most common cause of construction cave-ins include:
Unsafe passage going in and out of the trench
Lack of protective system
Failure to inspect soil before excavation
Unsafe spoil-pile placement
4. Electrical Accidents
Approximately 350 deaths are related to electrical accidents in the US every year including those
from the construction industry.
In the construction industry, electrical accidents are usually caused by:
Lack of ground-fault protection
Defective and improper use of extension chords
Contact with power lines
Missing or discontinued path to the ground
Resolution
If a worker is injured due to a construction accident, then he is entitled to a partial income from
worker's compensation.
However, taking advantage of worker's compensation also surrenders the employee's right to sue
the employer.
The worker should consult a construction accident expert, personal injury lawyer to determine what
would be the best course of action.