Almost half of the worker fatalities in 2017 were in the construction and transportation industries according to global investment firm Conning. Workers in New York should know that there are several factors involved in this trend.
Construction safety and employment trends
Around 6 million people in New York and across the U.S. work in construction, making up around 4% of the workforce. At the same time, they see some of the highest injury and fatality rates. In 2012, just over 19% of worker fatalities, 806 out of 4,175, were in the construction industry. That same year, construction workers saw the seventh highest rate of non-fatal injuries requiring time off work: 382 out of every 10,000 full-time workers.
New York City sees construction deaths, injuries skyrocket
As of April, 16 construction workers have died in the city of New York in 2019. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has stated that the city sees more deaths in construction than in any other industry. The number of worksite deaths has gone up 33% in the past five years. Even more startling, the number of injuries has gone up 221% in the same period.
