Fall Protection Unit 1: Introduction

Construction jobs have a high rate of injuries/ fatalities. Falls are one of the primary causes of injuries/ fatalities. Fall injuries/ fatalities also have economic & ethical aftershocks.

At the end of Unit 1 you will be able to: Name at least one economic outcome from a fall-related injury. Identify at least one legal or ethical reason for providing fall protection Summarize the latest statistics regarding: The rate of injuries and fatalities in construction due to falls. How falls compare to other injuries. The typical types of falls. The types of people who are more susceptible to falls..

What do you know? There are three main reasons why it is important to prevent falls. The first reason is easy to guess: Safety. It’s all about safety and the quality of life. Falls cause injuries and kill people.  Can you think of two other reasons why it is important to prevent falls? Economic Consequences: lost time on the job, medical expenses, etc. Legal and Ethical Reasons: OSHA mandated

Safety and Quality of Life Falls can cause serious physical harm or death. The charts that follow demonstrate that falls are one of the most common and most serious on-the-job accidents.

How does construction compare to other occupations and industries for injuries and fatalities? Look at: CHART 2: Rate and Number of FATAL Injuries Look at: CHART 1: Rate and Number of NONFATAL Injuries

CHART 1: Rate and Number of NONFATAL Injuries How does construction compare to other occupations and industries for injuries and fatalities? (PART 1) CHART 1: Rate and Number of NONFATAL Injuries Chart 1: Construction laborers (which includes operating engineers), have the eighth highest incidence of nonfatal injuries and the fifth highest sheer number of nonfatal injuries. According to the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics there are nearly 3.0 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers every year. Those occupations with the highest rates are shown in Chart 1 below.   The chart shows that construction laborers, (which includes operating engineers), have the eighth highest incidence of nonfatal injuries and the fifth highest sheer number of nonfatal injuries.

CHART 2: Rate and Number of FATAL Injuries How does construction compare to other occupations and industries for injuries and fatalities? (PART 2) CHART 2: Rate and Number of FATAL Injuries Chart 2: The construction industry has the fourth highest rate of fatalities and the highest sheer number of deaths caused by accidents on the job.

DISCUSS There is a distinction between the number of fatalities and the rate of fatalities. (Left half v. right half) Why do we make this distinction? RATE NUMBER RATE NUMBER Use an example. Construction has 874 deaths per year, whereas Mining has 141. Which is more dangerous? We cannot tell, because Construction has so many more jobs. So we have to look at the rate. Construction has 8.9 deaths per 100,000 compared to Mining’s 14.1 deaths per 100,000. Which is more dangerous?

Is the construction industry getting any safer? Chart 3 Yes– All four lines show a downward trend. But remember what we just learned above. The construction sector continues to account for a disproportionate share of work-related deaths in the United States. Although fatalities are decreasing, the construction industry still suffered about 20% of the nation’s reported work-related deaths, which is disproportionately high given that construction workers encompass about 8% of the total U.S. workforce.   For more recent statistics, greater detail on trends, and further comparisons among construction occupations, the reader is directed to reports put out by CPWR: The Center for Construction Research and Training. Updated reports are put out periodically. In general, both fatal and nonfatal injury rates in construction have declined over time (Chart 3), but the extent of declining fatalities lags behind that of nonfatal injuries. Over the period shown here, the death rate of construction workers decreased 33%, while nonfatal injury and illness rates involving days away from work (DAFW) declined around 67%.

In the construction industry how do falls compare to other NONFATAL and FATAL injuries? CHART 5

Chart 6 For nonfatal falls on the same level, slipping was the most common cause, leading to 3,980 injuries in 2015, accounting for one third (32.9%) of all nonfatal injuries in this Category. Source: CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 45B)

Chart 7 For nonfatal injuries due to falls to a lower level, more than one-third (35.2%) were from a height of less than six feet Source: CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 45B)

Chart 8 By age group, more nonfatal fall injuries occurred to workers between the ages of 35 and 44 than any other age group (29%; chart 45e). However, the rate of nonfatal fall injuries was highest among workers 55 years and older. More than 45 fall injuries per 10,000 FTEs occurred among workers ages 55 to 64 years, and more than 38 fall injuries per 10,000 FTEs occurred among workers ages 65 years and older. See CPWR 6th Edition Chart (45E)

Chart 9 In general, the fatality rate in construction has decreased since 1992. Specifically, it declined 37% from 14.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers (FTEs; see Glossary) in 1992 to a low point of 9.0 per 100,000 FTEs in 2011. However, the rate has increased since then, to 9.9 per 100,000 FTEs in 2015 (chart 38c). This increase could be partly attributed to expanded employment of high-risk worker groups, such as Hispanic immigrant workers (see pages 16 and 17). In 2015, the fatality rate in construction was almost three times higher than the average of all industries, which was 3.4 per 100,000 FTEs.1 The death rate in construction has also been steadily higher than manufacturing over time. CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 38C)

Chart 10 In 2015, 985 construction workers died from work-related injuries, accounting for 20% of the total (4,836) fatal injuries at workplaces in the United States,1 more than any other industry (chart 38a). Compared to its lowest level (781 deaths) in 2011, construction fatalities rose 26% in 2015 (chart 38b). Fluctuations were more pronounced among Hispanic construction workers, as fatal injuries dropped about 50% from a high of 360 in 2006 to a low of 182 in 2010, and then reached 285 in 2015, a 57% increase. The fatality trends in construction corresponded with the employment trends in this industry during this time period—See CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 38A)

Chart 11 In 2015, 985 construction workers died from work-related injuries, accounting for 20% of the total (4,836) fatal injuries at workplaces in the United States,1 more than any other industry (chart 38a). Compared to its lowest level (781 deaths) in 2011, construction fatalities rose 26% in 2015 (chart 38b). Fluctuations were more pronounced among Hispanic construction workers, as fatal injuries dropped about 50% from a high of 360 in 2006 to a low of 182 in 2010, and then reached 285 in 2015, a 57% increase. The fatality trends in construction corresponded with the employment trends in this industry during this time period—See CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 38B)

Chart 12 Using more detailed injury categories, from 1992 through 2015, the highest-ranking causes of fatalities in construction were falls to a lower level (8,211 deaths), being struck by an object or a vehicle (4,648 deaths), contact with electric current (2,807 deaths), and caught-in/between (2,207deaths; chart 43c). These four causes are recognized as the “Construction Focus Four” by OSHA, claiming 745 lives on average per year in construction, and accounting for 70% of all construction fatalities during this time period. See CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 43C)

Chart 13 The primary cause of fall fatalities in construction was falling from roofs, accounting for one-third of all fatal falls to a lower level followed by falls from ladders. Source: See CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 44C).

Chart 14 While working at a height of 30 feet or above is very dangerous, 38% of fatal falls to a lower level in construction that occurred between 2011 and 2015 were from a height of 15 feet or Less. Source: See CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 44B)

Chart 15 The risk of fatal falls to a lower level varies among construction occupations. Between 2011 and 2015, the rate of such deaths among roofers was 34.2 per 100,000 FTEs, more than ten times that of all construction workers on average (3.3 per 100,000 FTEs). Ironworkers had the second highest rate at 19.9 per 100,000 FTEs. Source: See CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 44E)

Chart 16 In 2015, injuries caused by falls, slips, and trips were responsible for over one-third (367 of 985) of all fatal work injuries in construction (chart 43a). Transportation incidents (263 deaths) and contact with objects (166 deaths) were the second and third leading causes of construction fatalities, respectively. Source: See CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 43A)

Chart 17 Leading causes of nonfatal injuries differ from fatal injuries. For example, contact with objects caused one-third (26,550 of 79,890) of all nonfatal injuries resulting in days away from work (DAFW; chart 43b) in 2015, making it the number one cause of nonfatal injuries, even though this category ranked third among fatal injuries with 17% of fatalities. Similarly, falls to a lower level were a major contributor to fatalities in construction, accounting for 96% (353 of 367) of all fatal falls, while slips, trips, and falls on the same level caused more than half (12,710 of 23,860; 53%) of all nonfatal fall injuries in construction. Overexertion / bodily reactions do not normally lead to death, but are often known as a major cause of musculoskeletal disorders responsible for more than one-quarter of DAFW cases in construction in 2015. Source: See CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 43B)

Chart 18 sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. O*NET provides detailed standardized information for approximately 1,000 occupations based on the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) The exposure data are selected from O*NET’s Work Context –Work Conditions, which rates various work conditions and hazards measured by exposure frequency scores for each occupation. A score of zero means that workers are never exposed to a given hazard, whereas a score of 100 is assigned when exposure occurs on a daily basis or continually. According to the O*NET measures, many construction occupations require working at heights on a daily basis, which increases the risk of falls to a lower level Elevator installers, roofers, ironworkers, and power-line installers are exposed to heights on the job almost every day. Source: See CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 32A)

Chart 19 Painters, sheet metal workers, electricians, and ironworkers spend at least half of their work time climbing ladders, scaffolds, or poles. Source: See CPWR Chart Book 6th Edition (Chart 32B)

What kinds of people are susceptible to falls? (PART 1) CHART 20: FATAL Injuries by Gender (All Trades) Men and women are about equally susceptible to falls (Chart 20).

What kinds of people are susceptible to falls? (PART 2) CHART 11: FATAL Falls by Age Group in Construction Those aged 45-54 have the highest number of falls-related deaths, while the oldest and youngest workers have the highest proportional rate of falls-related fatalities (Chart 21). That is, the oldest and youngest are the most at risk, but the greatest number of incidents will come from those aged 45-54. Class Discussion: Why would rate of fatal falls be higher among younger and older worker than the workers in between those groups?

Economic Consequences Injuries and fatalities can have severe economic consequences for the worker and his/ her family. There are also repercussions for the employer. (There are also repercussions for the employer.) For example, accidents result in higher insurance premiums and less available funds for pay increases and infrastructure improvements.

List some of the costs to employees (direct costs) When someone is injured or dies because of a work-related accident, there are many financially-related consequences. This is like looking at an iceberg. List some of the costs to employees (direct costs) List some of the costs which affect employers (indirect costs): List some the costs to employees (direct costs): Medical bills Use of sick leave/ vacation days Time off without pay List some of the costs which affect employers (indirect costs): Training substitute workers, Reduced efficiency Damaged equipment, Damaged reputation Overtime costs to make up for the reduction in production Supervision time to investigate the incident Law suits, Administrative costs Increases in Worker Comp costs Worker morale. Who wants to work on a job were a fellow worker was killed/injured. Worrying that you could be next  impacts and slows productivity. 

The Real Cost of Injuries Injury Type Direct Cost Indirect Cost Total Cost Amputation $ 66,777 $ 73,454 $ 140,231 Concussion $ 60,770 $ 66,847 $ 127,617 Contusion $ 27,042 $ 29,746 $ 56,788 Crushing $ 56,557 $ 62,212 $ 118,769 Dislocation $ 73,800 $ 81,180 $ 154,980 Fracture $ 48,492 $ 53,341 $ 101,833 Mental Stress $ 29,809 $ 32,789 $ 62,598 Multiple Injuries Including Both Physical and Psychological $ 125,155 $ 137,670 $ 262,825 Puncture $ 22,716 $ 24,987 $ 47,703 Severance $ 103,998 $ 114,397 $ 218,395 Sprain $ 28,866 $ 31,752 $ 60,618 Strain $ 33,528 $ 36,880 $ 70,408 Here are some examples of common injuries from falls & related costs: Indirect costs are usually uninsured and therefore, unrecoverable. It is a fallacy to think that employers’ costs are mostly covered by insurance.  $afety Pays helps estimate cost gains realized through the prevention of occupational injuries and illness claims. Businesses can use this information to predict the direct and indirect costs of injuries and the sales needed to compensate for these losses. The average claim cost estimates used in "$afety Pays" are provided by National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc. (NCCI). The data reflects the average cost of lost time workers' compensation insurance claims derived from unit statistical reports submitted to NCCI for policy years 2009-2011. The National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc. is the largest provider of workers compensation insurance and employee injury data and statistics in the nation.   The indirect cost estimates provided in $afety Pays are taken from the Business Roundtable publication, “Improving Construction Safety Performance,” and are based on a study conducted by the Stanford University Department of Civil Engineering. An abbreviated listing of indirect cost drivers includes: Any wages paid to injured workers for absences not covered by workers’ compensation. The wage costs related to time lost though work stoppage. Administrative time spent by supervisors following accidents. Employee training and replacement costs. Lost productivity related to new employee learning curves and accommodation of injured employees. Replacement costs of damaged material, machinery and property.

Days Away from Work CHART 12: Work-related Injuries and Illnesses Involving Days Away From Work Note: That for certain kinds of fall-related accidents, the number of lost work days is not inconsequential

Legal and Ethical Reasons Legal reasons include the requirements mandated by OSHA. Ethical reasons include personal and professional codes of appropriate and moral conduct.

OSHA Standards The Occupational Safety and Health Act grants OSHA the authority to issue workplace health and safety regulations and to enforce them. Employers have the duty to provide a workplace free from recognized safety and health hazards. In the U.S., Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (29 CFR) assures safe and healthy working conditions for: General Industry (1910 Subpart D Walking and Working Surfaces) Construction(1926. Subpart M)

Which of the standards are applicable in your own work situation? Are there any you would like to know more about?

Occupational Safety and Health Act Requirements The duties of employers and employees are stated in the Occupational Safety and Health Act (Section 5). Title 29 - Chapter 15, U.S. Code 29 U.S.C.§654(a)1: Employers shall furnish a workplace which is free from recognized safety and health hazards Also known as the General Duty Clause– 5(a)(1) refers to employers. 5(b) refers to employees. 29 U.S.C.§654(a)1: Employers shall furnish a workplace which is free from recognized safety and health hazards. 29 U.S.C.§654(b): Employees shall comply with these standards.

What moral reasons can you think of for fall protection? To save a life or prevent injury. Ethics is a system that defines right and wrong and provides a guiding philosophy for every decision you make. Ethical behavior is not only what you believe to be right and fair, it is a reflection of your personal brand and what people can expect from you personally and professionally. Is it morally okay to ask workers to accept risks like those in the photo? Why or why not? It is wrong to place someone in harm’s way. It is wrong to prioritize the needs of the project over someone’s well-being.

Module Review What are the three main reasons why it is important to prevent falls? True or False: Construction laborers have the highest rate of nonfatal injuries among all occupations. True or False: The construction industry is getting safer. True or False: Falls are among the top three leading causes of fatalities in construction. Answers: 1) A--Health and safety; Economic consequences; Legal and ethical reasons 2) True 3) True 4) True

Module Review What is the most typical kind of nonfatal injury? What is the most typical kind of fatal injury? Who is most susceptible to falls? Who is most susceptible to falls? Name one direct cost and one indirect cost resulting from a falls incident. 5) A—Same level 6) A—Fall from Roof 7) D—About the same for both men and woman 8) Can you name a moral reason(s) can you think of for fall protection? Costs to employees (direct costs): Medical bills Use of sick leave/ vacation days Time off without pay Costs which affect employers (indirect costs): Training substitute workers, Reduced efficiency Damaged equipment, Damaged reputation Overtime costs to make up for the reduction in production Supervision time to investigate the incident Law suits, Administrative costs Increases in Worker Comp costs Worker morale. Who wants to work on a job were a fellow worker was killed/injured. Worrying that you could be next  impacts and slows productivity.