Federal workplace safety regulators call construction “a high hazard industry.” The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says one in five worker deaths annually (20%) occur in construction.
Construction workers face numerous hazards at job sites such as falling from rooftops, being struck by heavy construction equipment, contact with unguarded power tools and machinery, suffering electrical shock and inhaling silica dust and asbestos, which can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma. In Texas, a construction worker suffered fatal injuries on the job about every other workday.
Nationwide, there were 1,061 deaths in the private construction industry in 2019, a 5 percent increase from 2018 and the largest total since 2007, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says. In all, 5,333 workers died on the job in 2019 (an incidence rate of 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers).
In Texas in 2019, 123 construction workers died in workplace accidents, including 32 accidents involving motor vehicles and 13 fatalities involving exposure to harmful environments or substances, according to the BLS. Based on a five-day work week, this equates to a construction site death just about every other workday.
In all, 608 Texas workers died from occupational injuries in 2019, making construction industry deaths 20 percent of the total.
The Texas Department of Insurance’s Division of Workers’ Compensation said in a November 2020 report that there were 11,300 nonfatal injuries and illnesses reported in the state’s construction industry in 2019. This is an incidence rate of 1.5 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers in Texas. Based on a five-day work week, this equates to 43 construction site injuries each workday.
In all Texas private industry, there were 187,600 nonfatal injuries and illnesses reported in 2019. Injuries and illnesses in the construction industry made up 6 percent of the state’s total.
The construction site accident attorneys of Herrman & Herrman in San Antonio help construction workers obtain workers’ compensation benefits when they have been injured on the job. We also help the families of construction workers who were killed on the job. If you’re a construction worker or a family member dealing with a disputed workers’ compensation claim, contact us at (361) 882-4357 about the steps you can take to claim benefits you are owed.
Common Causes of San Antonio Construction Accidents
As statistics for fatal construction accidents in Texas indicate, more than a quarter of construction site accidents are motor vehicle accidents. In a report about fatal injuries in road work zones, the BLS said nearly half of construction workers killed in work zone accidents were struck by a vehicle or mobile equipment. Workers are most frequently struck by automobiles driving through the work zone or by dump trucks backing up on site.
Last September in San Antonio, a construction worker was critically injured when a pickup truck traveling through a work zone hit a backhoe on Martin Luther King Drive and Upland Road on the city’s east side.
OSHA and the U.S. Department of Transportation have standards and guidance for the safe set-up of highway work zone signs, barricades and flagging that can help prevent work zone accidents.
In another San Antonio construction accident last July, a construction worker was trapped waist-deep in dirt after a trench collapse near Galm Road and Swayback Ranch. San Antonio Fire Department crews pulled the man out of the hole after about two hours of work, and he was transported to the hospital for potential surgery.
According to OSHA, excavation and trenching are among the most hazardous construction operations. Trench cave-ins pose the greatest risk of injury and are more likely than some other excavation-related incidents to result in worker deaths. One cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as a car.
In June 2020, the National Utility Contractors Association, a trade association for the utility construction and excavation industry, organized a nationwide trench safety stand down for employers to stop work and talk directly to employees about trench and excavation hazards and safety. A second annual stand down is scheduled for June 14-18, 2021.
Top Causes of Construction Accidents
These recent construction accidents in San Antonio illustrate half of OSHA’s infamous “Fatal Four” leading causes of fatalities in the construction industry. They are:
- Falls. Construction workers fall off ladders, roofs, scaffolding and other elevated construction areas and because of unprotected sides or holes and improperly constructed walking or working surfaces. Falls can be prevented by using proper fall protection. Falls cause more than a third of all deaths in the workplace.
- Struck by an Object. Struck-by injuries occur when a worker is hit by an object or piece of equipment that is moving, falling, or swinging or by motor vehicles. About 10 percent of workplace deaths are caused by struck-by accidents.
- Electrocution. Construction workers face such electrocution risks as exposed wiring, wet conditions while outlets are exposed, contact with overhead power lines or energized conductors or circuit parts in electrical panels and equipment panels, poorly maintained extension cords and power tools, and lightning strikes. About 8.6 percent of workplace fatalities involve electrocution.
- Caught-in or Caught-between. These include trench or excavation collapses, as well as workers caught between moving or rotating machinery or machinery parts or caught in collapsing structures or materials. Caught-in or caught-between accidents account for about 2.5 percent of occupational fatalities.
CONTACT HERRMAN & HERRMAN IF YOU HAVE BEEN INJURED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ACCIDENTS:
We can help you if you have been harmed by the following:
- Car accidents – Our lawyers have extensive experience handling car accident cases. We will work to identify the party or parties at fault for the crash and build a case to demonstrate persuasively how the parties caused the accident and your injuries. We will seek fair and full compensation through a negotiated settlement or at trial if necessary.
- Truck accidents – Thousands of large commercial trucks travel the roads of Texas every single day. Unfortunately, careless truck drivers and trucking companies disregarding safety put innocent people at risk of serious injuries. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, let our experienced Texas personal injury lawyers stand up to the trucking companies and insurers on your behalf.
- Motorcycle accidents – Motorcycle riders often suffer grievous injuries in crashes caused by other motorists. Too many motorcycle accidents in Corpus Christi are caused by careless drivers who don’t look for motorcycle riders or violate their right of way. Our personal injury lawyers will work to cut through the bias and stigma against motorcycle riders. Our goal is to seek the financial compensation that you’ll need to recover from a serious motorcycle accident and injuries such as bone fractures, road rash, or traumatic brain injury.
- Product liability – Product manufacturers have a legal obligation to make products that are safe for their intended uses and to warn consumers of any risks that may come with the product. When products have design or manufacturing defects or undisclosed dangers, the product manufacturer may be legally responsible for injuries suffered by consumers. Our attorneys can help you evaluate whether you have a valid product liability claim.
- Brain injury – Brain injuries can leave accident victims with disabilities that leave them unable to work or perform many tasks of daily living. Seeking compensation for a brain injury in an accident often proves incredibly complex. The brain injury survivor may seek compensation for anticipated future medical care and the medical care already provided. Our personal injury lawyers can help you through the difficult recovery process following a brain injury and will fight to make sure you have the resources you need.
- Spinal injury – Spinal cord injuries could cost millions of dollars of care over the course of the victim’s lifetime, especially when those injuries result in partial or complete paralysis, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia. If you or your loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, you deserve compassionate legal representation. Our attorney can help you determine whether you may be entitled to claim compensation for your injury and expenses related to living with the disability, such as making a home more accessible.
- Wrongful death – If you have lost a loved one due to the negligent or reckless actions of another party, your family deserves to seek accountability and compensation from those at fault for the wrongful death. Our caring and dedicated attorneys can help guide you and your family through this difficult and painful time and seek justice for your loved one.
