Over the past five years, Nationwide has processed more than10,000 workers' compensation claims. Their researchers decided totake a closer look at the numbers to try to understand how and whythese accidents occur.
|They found that one of the most common — and costly — causes ofclaims occurs when construction workers fall from elevatedsurfaces. These accidents represent more than 30% of allconstruction claim payments, according to data from Nationwide.
|These falls are also the most deadly type of accident on construction sites. Asthe leading cause of death for construction employees, falls fromelevated surfaces account for 370 of the 991 constructionfatalities recorded in 2016 according to BLS data.
|Related: Leveraging technology for workplacesafety
|So, why are falls from elevated surfaces so costly?
|Nationwide's data indicates that these injuries are more severethan other injury claims because these accidents result in:
- More time away from work
- Damage to multiple body parts
- Short- and long-term disability leave
In an effort to help employers reduce these incidents, over thelast few years, Nationwide has been providing safety awareness andtraining to thousands of construction workers. The program supportsa national campaign titled Stand-Down To Prevent Falls in Construction and issponsored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA).
|“Construction employees work hard every day in environments thatare often dangerous,” Linda Stueber, Nationwide's vice president ofConstruction, said in a statement.
|“Our data shows that falls from elevated surfaces can often leadto serious and costly worker injuries, so it's crucial forconstruction companies and their workers to implement regularsafety training — and put that training to practice.”
|To help companies do so, Nationwide has put out a series of tipsfor both construction workers and their employers to utilize toreduce fall-related injuries. Click through the slideshow above forways construction companies can keep their workers safe.
|Related: Piece by piece: The state of affairs in theconstruction industry
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