Citation

Hinze JW, Teizer J. Safety Sci. 2011; 49(5): 709-718.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ssci.2011.01.007

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The construction industry annually experiences one of the highest fatality rates among the industrial sectors in the United States. The factors that contribute to this reputation include the nature of the work, human behavior, the tools and equipment involved, and also the compact work zones. Industrial fatalities are investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). While OSHA groups the causes of fatalities into a few general categories, too little information is gleaned to effectively target specific problem areas.

To improve safety performance in the construction industry, it is necessary to understand the underlying causes of accidents. With targeted analysis, patterns emerge and causal factors can be identified. These findings may then be used to form the basis for recommendations that will help to improve construction worker safety. Little research has been conducted in this area.

Research was conducted that isolated fatalities in which vision or lack of good visibility was the principle factor or contributing cause. The objective of examining the details surrounding these fatalities was to uncover the contributing factors and to identify the agents that compromised visibility. The study identified 659 fatality accidents from a data pool of 13511 OSHA-investigated cases. It was discovered that blind spots, obstructions and lighting conditions were the most common factors contributing to vision-related fatalities. This research also analyzed the specific conditions associated with particular pieces of construction equipment.