Why are falls from 15 feet and under the most fatal?

On Behalf of | Jul 27, 2022 | Workers' Compensation |

Workers in the construction industry and other related Industries often have to work at heights. They have to climb ladders, work on roofs and use scaffold systems. A fall from heights can lead to severe injuries or even be deadly.

One interesting thing about these falls is that the largest percentage of fatal falls happen from 11 to 15 feet. These account for 19.7% of all fatalities in falls. While that is not the majority, it is the highest percentage and you can see an immediate decline after that. For instance, falls from 16 to 20 feet accounted for just 17.4% of fatalities, and the numbers continue to decline beyond that.

You may be surprised to see this. Certainly, a higher fall seems to carry a larger risk of serious injuries or a fatality. So why do the stats look like this?

This is where most work occurs

What you’re really seeing in these statistics is that most workers who do have to work at heights still are not going to be over twenty feet high. The majority of work on ladders and other systems happens below this height. As a result, most of the fatal accidents are also going to take place involving workers at these heights.

That is not to say that a fall from 50 feet or more is safer. It is much more likely to result in a fatality. It’s just uncommon for workers to be at these types of heights in the first place, so it makes up a smaller percentage of the overall fatalities.

If you have fallen and been injured on the job, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation. If you run into a problem with your claim, it may be time to seek legal help.

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