9 Common Causes of Construction Accidents

There are many causes of accidents on a construction site. Many are often attributed to some form of negligence and may involve unsafe work areas, misuse of tools and equipment, and failure to use protective equipment. The following discusses the nine most common examples of construction site accidents.

Unsafe Working Areas - Injuries due to slip and falls are among the most common on a construction site. Unsafe conditions include uncovered holes or trenches and exposed stakes and rebars (which implement hazards to those working or walking above them).


Falling Hazards - A common injury that occurs when a worker near an open-sided floor focusing on his work, steps backwards or to the side without looking. Another falling hazard occurs on stairwells with no guardrails. In this kind of accident, workers frequently land on their heads or shoulders.


Misuse of Stepladders - This is one of the leading causes of injury and long-term disability in Washington. An injury can occur when a worker falls from a tipped-over stepladder. Another accident that can occur with stepladders is when tools are left on the top platform. When someone moves the ladder, the tools fall on someone's head. Using household ladders on a construction site can also lead to accidents, as these types of ladders cannot take the weight and stress of a construction worker with tools.


Roof Construction Falls - The number one cause of death in construction occurs where no fall protection is provided. Falls can occur when anchors (designed to provide fall arrest with an attached lifeline) are not properly attached or more than one lifeline is on a single anchor.


Scaffolding Problems Washington State regulations mandate that a "competent person" must supervise erecting scaffolds. This is someone capable of identifying hazards and who has the authority to take prompt corrective measures. Despite these regulations, scaffolding accidents still occur through unsafe access to scaffolds and tools and other materials falling off scaffolding and injuring workers.


Collapsed Excavation Walls and Trenches - In the state of Washington, collapsed excavation walls or trenches kill an average of two workers each year. The weight of soil (2000-3000 pounds per yard) prevents a trapped worker from breathing, leading to death within minutes.


Power Tool Accidents - These accidents are frequently caused by not using appropriate eye and ear protection. Nail gun injuries have increased each year making eye injuries quite common. It's not surprising given that a nail comes out of the gun with the equivalent force of a .22 caliber bullet. Also, not having proper guards in place on the power tools can lead to cuts and amputations.


Lifting/Body Straining - The number one cause of injuries, disability claims and medical costs in construction are soft tissue injuries-strains, sprains and chronic injuries. These are a result of lifting with the back instead of using the legs and not using panel lifters when carrying sheets of drywall, plywood, or siding.


Vehicle Accidents - Forklift accidents are responsible for workers' deaths each year in Washington. A common accident occurs when turning or maneuvering the forklift with the load raised. Another dangerous construction site vehicle is the dump truck. A frequent accident involves the dump truck backing up and hitting a pedestrian.

As you can see, a construction site can be quite dangerous. However, many of these accidents can be avoided through common sense and protective measures. Prevention begins with adequate awareness and a properly maintained working environment that is safe and secure.

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Accidents in Construction Zones

Truckers make a good point when they say that there are only two seasons: winter and construction. For areas where the weather doesn't deal with the extremes of ice and snow, it is construction season twelve months of the year. Construction zones present some of the most dangerous driving conditions, and these are complicated by the presence of highway workers and speeding vehicles. The many contributing factors leave no doubt why there are so many accidents in construction zones.

Drivers At Fault

One report from 2000 pointed out how none of the efforts made to slow traffic in construction zones worked except the presence of a highway patrol or police officer. Drivers continue to speed through these narrow and cluttered areas. The consequence has been a rise in the number of accidents in construction zones.

Drivers who are speeding, intoxicated, distracted, confused, or not driving according to the limitations of the roadway often cause accidents in construction areas.

Construction Companies at Fault

Because they are responsible for directing the traffic through the construction zone, a mistake or bad timing in communication between workers risks head-on collisions and rear-enders. Construction workers are responsible for lining up the cones or barrels to create temporary safe lanes for traffic flow. They are responsible to place adequate warning signs that redirect traffic away from the construction and workers.

Construction vehicle drivers are often preoccupied with the work they are doing and unaware of traffic. Occasionally they back construction vehicles out into the lanes to reposition themselves. Many need to enter the lanes to get from one place to another, but seem unaware of oncoming traffic. Others just have little room to work to begin with and must maneuver close to flowing traffic.

Construction company workers are responsible for the safe use and placement of equipment that is sometimes left in places dangerous to drivers in the flow of traffic. Vehicles in traffic often overturn cones and barrels, possibly. But when they aren't repositioned, they present a hazard to the drivers.

Workers don't always stay out of the way of traffic, posing a hazard to drivers. But drivers who are speeding put workers at risk, also. With over 11,000 annual construction zone accidents causing about 800 deaths, construction companies have a huge responsibility to prevent serious injury from construction zone accidents.

Highway Departments at Fault

Some states grant municipal or governmental immunity to highway departments and state departments of transportation. You will need to contact a lawyer to determine what your options are after a construction related accident.

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