Falls from Height in the Construction Industry: A Critical Review of the Scientific Literature

Abstract

Globally, falls from height (FFH) are a substantial public health jeopardy and are among the important leading causes of serious and fatal injuries for construction workers. A comprehensive understanding of the causal factors in FFH incidents is urgently required; however, the literature appears to lack a scientific review of FFH. In this study, 297 articles that contribute to the topic of fall incidents were reviewed. Seventy-five (75) articles met the criteria for relevance and were aggregated in a database to support a critical review. A synthesis of macro-variables approach was adopted rather than a structured meta-analysis. Such a method of analysis provides the flexibility to combine previous studies' findings. The most common factors associated with FFH are risky activities, individual characteristics, site conditions, organizational characteristics, agents (scaffolds/ladders) and weather conditions. The outcomes contributed to identifying the most significant research area for safety enhancement by improving engineering facilities, behaviour investigations and FFH prevention methods.

Fatal falls and PFAS use in the construction industry: Findings from the NIOSH FACE reports

“…Although a comprehensive understanding of the causal factors in fatal falls is important for injury intervention, the existing literature appears to lack a scientific review of falls from height (Nadhim et al, 2016). Data collection on the height of falls was just initiated in 2011 by the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), which is the primary data source for occupational safety and health surveillance of fatalities.…”

Accidentalidad Laboral en el Sector de la Construcción: el Caso del Distrito de Cartagena de Indias (Colombia), Periodo 2014-2016

“…Si se observan las condiciones locativas y meteorológicas tal como lo hicieron (Nadhim et al, 2016) quienes afirman que el 25% de los estudios señalan a los andamios y escaleras como espacios riesgosos que podría causar muertes de trabajadores de este sector aunque en el presente estudio solo se logró evidenciar la aparición de accidentes leves como torceduras, lesiones y traumas a razón del 16%, que consolidad a las actividades de la construcción como la generadora de eventos significativos, aunque con poca severidad en el daño e incluso nula fatalidad para este estudio y de igual importancia la consideración para toda empresa constructora en el establecimiento de procedimientos de seguridad que neutralicen la ocurrencia de estos de forma eficiente y le preparan acciones específicas para contrarrestar la posible eventualidad (Hallowell y Gambatese, 2009) que además versan sobre las condiciones de las áreas de trabajo y superficie pueden afectar a los que trabajan cuando hay defectos en la superficie de trabajo. Por otro lado, los sitios de construcción a veces funcionan durante veinticuatro horas con condiciones insuficientes siendo más precaria la vida de los trabajadores que al ser afectados con lesiones como fracturas, trauma y contusiones, que pueden llevar a la muerte o en otro caso generar una lesión física (secuela) con influencia directa en el cuerpo del trabajador que en algunos casos, provocar la pérdida de una oportunidad de trabajo o de tener una discapacidad permanente.…”

Trend Analysis of Construction Industrial Accidents in Korea from 2011 to 2015

“…In Turkey, 52.9% of non-fatal accidents and 54.1% of fatal accidents were due to falls [37]. In the construction industry, falls are the leading cause of serious injuries and fatalities [38]. According to a study by Haslam et al [33], fall accidents could be the result of the inappropriate usage of safety equipment and poor communication within the work team.…”

“…According to a study by Haslam et al [33], fall accidents could be the result of the inappropriate usage of safety equipment and poor communication within the work team. In addition, fall from a higher level is more likely to occur when construction workers perform hazardous tasks, and the work complexity may divert workers' attention at significant heights, potentially leading to accidental falling [38]. In order to prevent falling, Ling et al [39] recommended that it be mandatory for workers to put on anti-fall equipment and set up an anchorage point before work.…”