Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Why Are Construction Workers Dying?

The answer? We know, but we don’t

Newsletters Alberta Local 63 BC Local 68 Manitoba Local 152 Ontario Construction Saskatchewan Local 151 Sectors Construction

April 28 is the International Day of Mourning, a day to remember those who have lost their lives or been injured due to a workplace accident or illness. Each year, the provincial workers compensation boards release their injury and fatality statistics for various sectors—including construction. But these numbers tell us very little about why these workers died and if there are trends we should be concerned about.

The latest numbers we have are from 2022, and they paint a sobering picture.

• 183 construction workers died due to workplace-related incidents. That’s 20.2 workers killed annually for every 100,000 workers.

• Falls are always one of the top causes of death in the industry.

• BC had their highest number of construction deaths in 35 years—with 54 individuals passings away.

• 28 of those deaths in BC were due to trauma—which has surpassed occupational exposure (e.g., to asbestos), which are a legacy of lax standards in the past.

Injuries and Deaths Underreported

The number of deaths only includes those that are accepted for compensation. Therefore, numerous reports estimate the number of injuries and deaths could be much higher—as much as 10-times higher.

For example, deaths and illnesses due to exposure only include the worker, not their family, who was exposed to the asbestos or chemicals they took home with them on their clothing.

The numbers in some provinces, such as Alberta, also don’t include workers killed traveling to work, those who are covered by private insurance, or those where a collision happens on site but is claimed against the provincial system.

Finally, not all workers are covered by a compensation board.

Safety Gains Regressing?

Construction safety improved greatly throughout the early 2000s due to improved equipment, practices, and culture.

Some fear that this improved safety culture may be backsliding. These days, there is a lot of pressure in the construction industry to finish projects quickly and move on, and there is a chronic lack of skilled labour. Long hours and overtime are common. All of these factors can contribute to accidents.

We also know from American data that a disproportionate number of workers killed and injured are foreign-born. They may not understand the safety culture and often experience language barriers. As recent immigrants provide much-needed labour, companies need to be cognizant of the safety risks that can arise.

As always, workers, supervisors, and employers need to keep safety top of mind. All it takes is one careless moment, or one mistake, to end or irrevocably alter a life.

Sources: wbwhite.com, cocabc.ca

Why Are Construction Workers Dying?

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