Injuries in the Most Dangerous Types of Construction Work

Nearly all types of construction work in Maryland come with some injury risks, but certain construction jobs are more hazardous than others. Compared to other states, Maryland has a lower rate of workplace injuries in general. That data also applies to construction, meaning that construction workers in Maryland suffer fewer nonfatal and fatal injuries each year than construction workers in states where injury rates are especially high, such as California and Washington, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, that data does not mean that injuries do not occur — construction workers in Maryland continue to sustain severe and life-threatening injuries.

Indeed, in some construction jobs, workers are significantly more likely to suffer debilitating or fatal injuries. While adhering to proper safety protocols — ensuring that all necessary safety protections are taken and protective equipment is worn — can help to reduce the likelihood of a serious or deadly injury on a construction site, some job tasks still pose risks. Which construction jobs are most dangerous, and what types of injuries typically occur? Our Maryland construction work injury lawyers can tell you more.

Most Dangerous Construction Jobs 

When it comes to the types of construction jobs that most frequently result in serious or deadly injuries, which roles are most dangerous? Data from the Center for Construction Research and Training reports that the following types of construction jobs most often result in fatalities:

• Construction laborers account for nearly one-fourth of all construction fatalities;
• Construction foremen account for the second-highest rate of deaths on construction sites;
• Powerline installers; and
• Roofers.

Nonfatal injuries tend to be most common among the following types of construction workers:

• Construction laborers, who have the highest rate of both fatal and nonfatal injuries, and the highest rate of days away from work due to nonfatal injuries;
• Carpenters;
• Sheet metal workers; and
• Ironworkers.

Types of Nonfatal and Fatal Injuries 

In the above roles, construction workers frequently sustain the following types of injuries, which can be nonfatal or fatal depending on the circumstances of the accident and factors related to the worker:

• Traumatic brain injuries;
• Broken bones;
• Crush injuries;
• Traumatic amputations;
• Impalement injuries;
• Run-over injuries, including struck-by injuries involving large construction vehicles;
• Suffocations in trench cave-ins; and
• Electrical injuries.

As the BLS and the Center for Construction Research and Training underscore, the likelihood of suffering a fatal or nonfatal injury while doing construction work is impacted by the number of years a worker is on the job — the more years spent in the construction industry, the higher the risk of a serious or fatal injury.

Contact a Maryland Construction Worker Injury Lawyer 

Were you seriously injured while performing construction work in Maryland, or was a spouse or parent killed while working on a construction site? Construction injuries can be devastating, and it is important for injured workers or their surviving family members to find out about seeking workers’ compensation benefits in Maryland. One of the experienced Maryland construction worker injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can talk with you today to learn more about the circumstances of the workplace injury and to discuss seeking compensation through the Maryland workers’ compensation system.

Sources:

bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/news-release/workplaceinjuriesandillnesses_maryland.htm

bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/construction-deaths-due-to-falls-slips-and-trips-increased-5-9-percent-in-2021.htm

bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/construction-laborers-and-helpers.htm

cpwr.com/wp-content/uploads/CB-page-42.pdf