Study Points the Finger at Roofers, Carpenters, and Others for Behavior That Allegedly Increases Their Risk of Harm
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction industry in both Indiana and Illinois is a vital, necessary contributor to our local economies. So much so that construction workers were declared “essential” so they could continue going to work during the Coronavirus Pandemic Quarantines in both states. Read, “Stay-at-Home Orders in Eight Midwest States Broadly Exempt Construction, Michigan’s is More Limited,” written by Jeff Yoders and published in the Engineering News Record on March 20, 2020.
Within the construction trade, insiders are optimistic about the future despite COVID-19. Industry experts are predicting a profitable year in 2020 and beyond. See, “Construction Industry is Like ‘a Rocket About to Take Off’,” written by Jenn Goodman and published in Construction Dive on May 28, 2020.
This is good news for those who work within the various construction trades, of course. Families in both Illinois and Indiana depending upon construction jobs will face less uncertainty than others in our communities, where the Coronavirus has resulted in job layoffs and lost income.
However, the dangers and risks that face construction workers each day will continue to threaten accidents that can cause permanent bodily injury or even death. Construction work is one of the most dangerous lines of work that can be performed in either Illinois or Indiana.
For more, read our discussions in:
- Construction Workers: The Most Dangerous Job Today
- Construction Worker’s Danger of Being Hurt or Killed on the Job: High Risk and Little Protection.
Report Identifies Risky Behavior in Construction Workers That Increases Risk of Injury
Recently, a new research report was released by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that delved into construction worker injuries on the job. This study explored the workers’ behavior, and found that there are certain things that individuals on the job do (or don’t do) which can make them a “higher health risk” than others on the work site. See, Boal, Winifred L., et al. “Health Risk Behavior Profile of Construction Workers, 32 States, 2013 to 2016.” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 62.7 (2020): 493-502.
Construction Workers Face High Risk of Serious Injury or Death
Researchers recognized that workers in the construction industry have unique job environments. During the course of their workday, these men and women may be exposed to numerous workplace hazards. Dangerous hazards on a construction site include things like exposure to hazardous chemicals, electrocution, and injuries sustained as a result of physically demanding tasks (including those involving complex equipment or tools).
See:
- The Construction Workers’ Viewpoint: Work Site Safety and Suicide Rates
- Construction Workers in Indiana and Illinois Deserve Respect for Working One of the Most Dangerous of Jobs
- OSHA’s Top Ten Serious or Willful Violations of Worker Safety Laws.
Biggest Danger of Death: Falls on the Construction Site
The most common hazard being fall injuries, with falls cited as the number one cause of death for construction workers on the job. Falls alone are the reason for almost one-third of the total construction worker deaths each year. See, Deadly Construction Accidents: Falls Remain a Leading Cause of Death for Construction Workers.
Study Identifies Certain Worker Behaviors That Increase Risk of Injury
Earlier studies have posited construction workers with certain “health risk behaviors” were more likely to get hurt on the job. See, e.g., Strickland, Jaime R., et al. “Prevalence and Perception of Risky Health Behaviors among Construction Workers.” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 59.7 (2017): 673.
In this new report, NIOSH researchers focused upon these “health risk behaviors” to learn how commonplace they are within the various trades and professions of the construction industry.
Carpenters, Laborers, Electrical Installers, Repairers, Roofers, and Site Managers Singled Out
The new study found the following “health risk behaviors” to be “significantly more prevalent” among specific construction workers, particularly carpenters, construction laborers, and roofers:
- Smoking;
- smokeless tobacco use;
- binge drinking;
- no leisure-time physical activity; and
- not always using a seatbelt.
Moreover, construction site managers had “elevated prevalences” for smoking, smokeless tobacco use, binge drinking, and not always using a seatbelt.
Additional concerns were documented for three types of construction workers who were found to have “significantly elevated prevalences” for binge drinking:
- Roofers;
- Electrical Power-Line Installers; and
- Repairers.
How to address these concerns? The researchers suggest things like targeted interventions and health programs specific to their particular occupation.
Illinois and Indiana Construction Accident Injury Claims: Defense of Worker Contributing to Injury or Death
After any serious or deadly construction site accident, the worker and his or her family may proceed with a legal claim for damages against those who are responsible for what has happened. This may include several parties, from the company employer to contractors on site, to product manufacturers who provided defective equipment or parts. These claims can be sizable, especially when there has been a wrongful death or if a permanent injury like a spinal cord injury, amputation, or brain trauma is involved.
Sadly, these workers and their loved ones must face the likelihood that the worker’s own actions and personal life will be investigated by those defending against these claims. They may well look to studies such as this to try and claim that the victim’s history of alcohol use, for example, contributed to the incident.
Construction workers, especially carpenters, construction laborers, electrical power-line installers, repairers, roofers, and site managers, may become the focus of extensive personal investigation regarding “health risk factors” which the defense can use in arguments to try and lessen, if not outright deny, their financial responsibility for the consequences of the work accident.
For more on construction injury claims, read:
- Construction Accidents: Hurt or Killed Working Construction in Indiana or Illinois
- Legal Protection for Construction Workers from High Risk and Danger of Serious Injury or Death on the Job.
If you or a loved one is employed in the construction industry in Illinois or Indiana, then it is important to be aware of how notoriously dangerous this line of work can be and how aggressive these injury claims are defended by employers and others who may be held legally liable. Please be careful out there!
