Struck-by fatalities most prevalent in construction industry: report

Silver Spring, MD – Struck-by incidents contributed to 804 construction worker fatalities from 2011 to 2015, the most of any major industry, according to a new report from the Center for Construction Research and Training, also known as CPWR.

Fifty-two percent of the fatalities involved workers struck by an object or equipment; the remaining deaths involved workers struck by vehicles, the report states.

Other findings:

• 57 percent of the struck-by vehicle fatalities occurred in work zones.
• 114 deaths were the result of being struck by a passenger vehicle, and 112 workers died after being struck by a truck.
• Highway, street and bridge workers accounted for 264 of the 804 construction fatalities during the period.
• Construction workers 65 and older experienced the highest rate of struck-by fatalities.
• Highway maintenance workers, power line installers, and excavating or loading machine operators experienced the most struck-by fatalities.

“Struck-by … deaths are preventable,” the report states. “Training (OSHA, 2011), personal protective equipment, engineering controls, safety protocols and other solutions may be implemented to prevent struck-by injuries among construction workers.”