Falls are a part of life. From a young age, people fall while learning to walk or while playing outside. Of course, the injuries that result from those instances are often relatively minor. As California residents get older, they face greater dangers and may have jobs that result in them working at considerable heights. If so, falls could lead to fatal construction accidents.
In many cases, falls that happen on the job are preventable. Unfortunately, according to the president for the American Society of Safety Professionals, the current level of worker safety and health is at an unacceptable level. This comment stems from the release of statistics regarding the number of fatal work-related falls that took place in 2017. In total, 887 fatal occupational falls occurred, which was 17 percent of all work-related fatalities that happened that year.
Of those 887 fatal falls, 747 of them involved construction trades workers. The number of total fatal falls represents the highest total in the 26 years that the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries has been operational. The ASSP president believes that more focus needs to be put on preventing serious and fatal job-related injuries.
Losing a loved one under any circumstances can be difficult. When California families learn that their loved ones have suffered fatal injuries in construction accidents due to falls, they may feel a sense of disbelief. Unfortunately, this may only be the beginning of harrowing journeys for those families. Because a number of financial issues can result from this type of ordeal, surviving loved ones may want to look into their options for applying for workers’ compensation on behalf of their deceased family members in efforts to obtain assistance with resulting financial hardships.
