How Dangerous Is Construction Work?

Every year construction workers are injured by the thousands.

Construction work poses many risks: Power tools, heavy equipment, heights and electricity all come together to threaten the safety of construction workers, not to mention the risk of musculoskeletal injury posed by awkward lifting and repetitive actions.


Ironworkers make up a smal percentage of full-time construction workers, but they account for the highest rate of nonfatal injuries or illnesses. Ironworkers work at great heights and their chance of injury due to falling is greater. They almost always work with power tools, which further exposes them to danger.

Unskilled laborers find themselves near the top of the injury list, along with truck drivers. Those who have received little training in the safety and ergonomics required to successfully perform injury-free construction have a much greater chance of engaging in risky behaviors on the job site. Truck drivers also have to contend with the risk of being hurt in vehicle collisions.

For fatal construction accidents, ironworkers lead the pack. They are followed by roofers as the next closest in terms of work-related deaths posed by heights and falls. Welders and cutters, unskilled laborers and truck drivers round out the top five.

Electricians, plumbers, painters, carpenters, brickmasons, and drywall installers are all below the average occupational fatality rate found in construction work, indicating that their primary health risks are related to musculoskeletal injuries which are not life threatening.