Costs of occupational injuries in construction in the United States

This paper presents costs of fatal and nonfatal injuries for the construction industry using 2002 national incidence data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and a comprehensive cost model that includes direct medical costs, indirect losses in wage and household productivity, as well as an estimate of the quality of life costs due to injury. Costs are presented at the three-digit industry level, by worker characteristics, and by detailed source and event of injury. The total costs of fatal and nonfatal injuries in the construction industry were estimated at $11.5 billion in 2002, 15% of the costs for all private industry. The average cost per case of fatal or nonfatal injury is $27,000 in construction, almost double the per-case cost of $15,000 for all industry in 2002. Five industries accounted for over half the industry's total fatal and nonfatal injury costs. They were miscellaneous special trade contractors (SIC 179), followed by plumbing, heating and air-conditioning (SIC 171), electrical work (SIC 173), heavy construction except highway (SIC 162), and residential building construction (SIC 152), each with over $1 billion in costs.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2007.03.012
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V5S-4NJ25BV-2/2/dda9abaf3ec3bc8ad3eecba1582be70f
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission from Elsevier
• Authors:
  • Waehrer, Geetha M
  • Dong, Xiuwen S
  • Miller, Ted
  • Haile, Elizabeth
  • Men, Yurong
• Publication Date: 2007-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1258-1266
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction and maintenance personnel; Construction industry; Costs; Fatalities; Industrial accidents; Injuries; Occupational safety; Productivity; Quality of life
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Construction; Finance; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I50: Construction and Supervision of Construction; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01081319
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 28 2007 7:40AM