Even with advances in safety protocols, equipment and training within the construction sector, the industry is still known for its persistently high rates of deaths and injuries.
In fact, the rates of construction worker deaths are so high that the industry has the highest amount of workplace deaths. This emphasizes the clear need for a continued push for on-the-job safety improvements for those working in the construction industry.
To highlight the importance of construction site safety, we’ve compiled 41 construction safety statistics that offer a clear picture of the state of the industry in 2024.
- Fatal Construction Injuries
- Non-Fatal Construction Injuries
- Cost of Construction Injuries
- Safety Training Statistics
Click on one of the links above to jump to a specific section, or read on to see all 41 statistics.
Fatal Construction Industry Statistics
1. Construction has the second most workplace deaths of all industries, behind truck drivers. [BLS]
2. Nearly 1 in 5 deaths among U.S. workers is in the construction industry. [BLS]
3. Fatalities in construction increased by 11% from 2021 to 2022. [BLS]
4. Of the 792 foreign-born Hispanic or Latino worker deaths in 2022, 316 were in the construction industry. [BLS]
5. A total of 1,056 construction workers died on the job in 2022. [BLS]
6. Each year, about 1% of construction workers suffer a fatal injury, which is the highest rate in any industry. [BLS]
7. The “Fatal Four” leading causes of construction deaths (falls, struck by equipment, caught between objects and electrocutions) account for 65% of all construction-related deaths. [CPWR]
8. Falls, slips and trips are the leading cause of death in construction —of the 1,056 construction worker deaths in 2022, 423 were due to falls, slips or trips. [BLS]
9. Fatalities from falls, slips and trips in construction increased by 1.8% in 2022. [BLS]
10. Transportation incidents are the second leading cause of work-related death in construction. [BLS]
11. Struck-by incidents are responsible for 15.4% of work-related deaths in construction. [CDC]
12. Struck-by incidents are the second leading cause of work-related death in construction. [BLS]
13. Electrocutions are responsible for 7.2% of work-related deaths in construction. [CDC]
14. Caught-in/between accidents are responsible for 5.4% of work-related deaths in construction. [CDC]
15. The construction industry saw the highest number of preventable fatal injuries. [NSC]
Non-Fatal Construction Injuries
16. Each year, 1% of construction workers suffer an injury serious enough to miss work. [BLS]
17. In 2022, the construction industry saw 169,600 recordable cases of injury and illness.[BLS]
18. In 2022, construction had the third-highest rate of all recordable cases of injury and illness in the workplace. [BLS]
19. In 2022, there were 4.5 million medically consulted injuries among construction workers, higher among construction workers than any other workers. [NSC]
20. More than 25% of construction workers indicate that they have failed to report a work-related injury. [CPWR]
21. Construction workers ages 25-34 were most likely to sustain an injury on the job. [NSC]
22. As of 2023, 51% of all construction workers were exposed to hazardous noise. [CDC x NIOSH]
23. Roughly 7% of all construction workers have tinnitus as of 2023. [CDC x NIOSH]
24. Of construction workers exposed to noise on the job, around 25% of them had a hearing impairment in 2023. [CDC x NIOSH]
25. Of construction workers exposed to noise on the job, 16% had hearing impairment in both ears in 2023. [CDC x NIOSH]
Cost of Construction Injuries
26. Fatal construction injuries are estimated to cost the United States $5 billion each year in health care, lost income, reduced quality of life for family members and lost production. [Midwest EPI]
27. Total workplace injury costs exceed $170 billion each year. [NSC]
28. Workers’ compensation claims for nonfatal falls account for $2.5 billion annually. [Liberty Mutual]
29. Construction workers had an absence rate of 2.2% due to injury or illness in 2023. [BLS]
30. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties can cost anywhere from $15,625 to $156,259 for safety violations. [OSHA]
31. One of the highest proposed fines for safety violations in 2022 was $1.3 million levied against Alj Home Improvement in New York. [OSHA]
Safety Training Statistics
32. According to OSHA, construction companies save roughly $4 to $6 for every $1 invested in safety programs. [OSHA]
33. Medically consulted injuries cost $42,000 on average in 2021, while the average cost per death was $1.34 million. [NSC]
34. On average, construction companies spend 3.6% of their budgets on injuries but only 2.6% on safety training. [National Funding/ELCOSH]
35. About 62% of construction workers are exposed to heights — but only half (31%) use personal protective equipment (PPE). [BLS]
36. About 60% of construction workers must work near moving parts — and only 3.8% have all associated risks mitigated by their PPE. [BLS]
37. Most construction workers cannot fully mitigate the risk of exposure to harmful contaminants with only PPE. [BLS]
38. 67% of construction workers feel that standards are higher for productivity than for safety. [National Safety Council via EHS Today]
39. 55% of workers believe they need more safety training, and 25% worry about being injured every day. [360 Training]
40. OSHA safety certifications take between 10 and 30 hours to complete and cost between $60 and $180. [OSHA]
41. Over 60% of construction accidents occur within an employee’s first year of work, highlighting the need for proactive, high-quality training. [BLS]
The State of Construction Safety in 2024
Doubling down on safety in construction requires investment in proper education for workers. Techniques like three points of contact can help reduce falls, for example — the leading cause of death and injury among construction workers.
Meanwhile, properly understanding equipment like aerial lifts or cranes is vital to avoid accidents involving falling objects or collisions. Finally, improvement in communication — whether it’s an overarching safety plan or specialized communication like hand signals — has a measurable effect on safety.
Putting safety first is key in helping to reduce the high rate of injuries in the construction industry. Companies who put safety first save money over time, so don’t delay reviewing your safety protocols now. Once your operators are trained and ready to begin work, contact BigRentz for your equipment rental needs.
