Whenever there is a massive construction project taking place, there are a lot of risks involved. Workers at construction sites are at risk for all kinds of injuries, and the public can also be in danger if something falls on them as they’re walking by.
One of the single biggest risk factors on a construction site involves falling materials, tools or other objects. The greater the height from which an object falls, the greater risk it poses to other people because gravity can turn even a light object into a dangerous projectile.
How often do falling objects at construction sites result in injuries?
According to an analysis of reported construction site injuries by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), falling objects impact dozens of people near construction sites every day. There are as many as 50,000 falling objects incidents at construction sites around the country annually, which means one occurs roughly every 10 minutes.
Those figures only include situations where someone reports an injury, which means objects and materials likely fall much more frequently than that. Proper training of workers and adequate safety equipment, including tethers for tools and other equipment used at high elevations, could help prevent the vast majority of these incidents.
Both construction workers and nearby pedestrians or drivers who get hurt by falling objects at a construction site may have the right to pursue compensation. An experienced attorney can provide valuable assistance.