Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. They’re also the second leading cause of nonfatal injuries.
Slips, trips and falls contributed to 421 construction worker deaths in 2023, according to Injury Facts – an online statistical database maintained by the National Safety Council. And 2024 marked the 14th straight fiscal year that Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501) was the standard most often cited by OSHA inspectors who found safety violations.
Here’s a closer look at the numbers, using the most recent data available.
These stats were published in the print edition of Safety+Health‘s May 2025 issue. You can browse the charts below.
National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction
May 5-9, 2025
In 2012, the National Occupational Research Agenda Construction Sector Council, with leadership from NIOSH, OSHA and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, launched the inaugural National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.
Since then, those groups, together with the Department of Labor, the National Safety Council, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, annually sponsor the stand-down. The event is intended to encourage employers to focus on preventing fall-related deaths by raising awareness of hazards and the importance of fall protection.