Fatal falls in construction remain on the rise: report

Silver Spring, MD — The number of fatal falls to a lower level among construction workers jumped more than 50% over a recent 12-year period, according to a new report.

Analyzing 2011-2022 data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, researchers from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training identified 397 fatal falls to a lower level in 2022. That’s a 52.7% increase from 2011. The rate of fatal falls rose 13.3% in that time, to 3.4 per 100,000 full-time employees.

Other findings:

• 70% of the fatal falls occurred within companies with 10 or fewer employees.
• Most of the fatal falls happened between 10 a.m. and 12:59 p.m.
• Based on North American Industry Classification System codes, roofing contractors (23816) experienced the most fatal falls in 2022, with 100. Residential building construction (23611) was the next highest NAICS code, with 63.

“The most important thing to remember in the face of such high fatal injury rates is that falls are preventable,” CPWR says. “The national campaign to prevent falls in construction and annual safety stand-down event target fall safety in construction, encouraging employers to plan ahead to prevent falls on the job; provide the right tools and equipment for the job; and train employees on fall prevention equipment, work practices and rescue.”