Construction company managers and workers in Oklahoma recognize the hazardous nature of their work. Numerous safety regulations aim to prevent injuries and deaths, but caught-in, caught-between and struck-by accidents continue to claim lives. Research from the Center for Construction Research and Training has determined that deaths arising from these types of accidents are increasing at a faster rate than construction fatalities overall.<\/p>\n
Between 2011 and 2015, construction-related deaths went up by 26 percent, but caught-in and caught-between fatal accidents rose by 33 percent. The majority of the fatalities resulted from people caught under falling materials. Older workers and young workers<\/a> under age 20 experienced the greatest likelihood of dying on the job, especially ironworkers. <\/p>\n During the same period, struck-by accidents ended the lives of over 800 construction workers. Vehicles struck almost 18 percent of the victims, and falling objects or equipment accounted for 51 percent of the deaths. <\/p>\n Companies have resources that could reduce on-the-job dangers. According to the Associated Builders and Contractors, the Safety Performance Evaluation Process has the potential to improve a company’s safety record as much as 670 percent above the industry average. The program emphasizes proactive safety training, especially for new hires, and the use of site safety committees.<\/p>\n