MACHINERY-RELATED FATALITIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION-INDUSTRY

The National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) surveillance sys tem identified machinery-related incidents as the fourth leading cause of traumatic occupational fatalities in the U.S. construction industr y between 1980 and 1992, resulting in 1,901 deaths and 2.13 deaths per 100,000 workers. Fatality rates declined 50% over the study period. W orkers in three occupation divisions-precision production craft, and r epair: transportation and material moving; and handlers, equipment cle aners, helpers, and laborers-had both the highest frequency and rate o f fatalities. Cranes, excavating machinery, and tractors were the mach ines most frequently involved. The most common incident types were: st ruck by a mobile machine; overturn; and struck by a boom. Further deli neation of groups at highest risk for machinery-related injuries is co mplicated by a lack of data on exposure to machinery. The findings sug gest that injury prevention programs should focus not only on machine operators, but on those who work on foot around machines. (C) 1997 Wil ey-Liss, Inc.