As college basketball begins its journey to the Final Four, a foursome of the ominous variety casts a pall over New York City’s construction workers: the fatal four.
The fatal four refers to the four top causes of construction worker fatalities as reported by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Construction’s Fatal Four
- Falls, including falls from ladders and scaffolding
- Struck by object
- Electrocutions
- Caught-in-between, including being trapped in or crushed by structures and equipment
The Bad News
The fatal four, as OSHA calls them, are responsible for nearly 1,000 construction worker deaths annually throughout the United States. This is a staggering statistic.
Stop and think about the number 1,000. Then think of the spouses, children, siblings, parents, friends, and others who are affected by each of the 1,000 deaths.
The Good News
A silver lining in the face of the fatal four is that steps can be taken to mitigate the risks and protect construction workers. Proper safety equipment being available and used by workers, and following all safety codes can go a long way toward reducing the potential for accidents on the worksite.
At Block O’Toole & Murphy, we use our role as construction accident attorneys to hold negligent employers accountable when they place profits above construction worker safety. We have recovered more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients.