What Are OSHA’s Fatal Four, and What Makes Them So Deadly?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lists four major causes for workplace accidents that can be blamed for more on-the-job injuries and deaths than all others. These “Fatal Four” can be found in almost any industry, but the construction industry is particularly notorious for these types of injuries. But what are OSHA’s Fatal Four, and what makes them so deadly to workers, especially construction workers?

1. Falling accidents
   • Falling accidents are exactly what they sound like: workplace accidents where people fall and injure themselves. This ranges from conventional slip-and-fall accidents, which can be dangerous enough on their own, to more severe falls from ladders and scaffolding. This type of accident is found in the Fatal Four in part due to its frequency, as it is by far the most common type of workplace accident seen across all industries.
2. Struck-by accidents
   • Another common type of accident is known as the “struck-by” accident. This is when someone is injured due to being hit by another object, such as falling debris from a construction site, or a chip of metal that gets flung away by power tools. This type of accident falls into the Fatal Four because of how often, especially construction workers, find themselves accidentally harmed by falling and flying objects.
3. Caught-in/between accidents
   • These types of accidents are less common than some others on the Fatal Four, but they are no less lethal. “Caught-in/between” accidents are those that involve someone being trapped under or inside other things, such as someone getting trapped in a cave-in due to instability on a construction site, or someone having their hand caught in the machinery of equipment they are using. These injuries can result in crushed bones, torn muscles, and other, more gruesome types of harm, often resulting in long-term disabilities.
4. Electrocutions
   • Electrocutions are on the Fatal Four in no small part due to how many people rely on electronic devices and power tools for their jobs. Construction sites, in particular, often involve working with equipment that uses high voltages in their operation, making it extremely dangerous if someone accidentally comes into contact with them while they are in use. When this happens, it can lead to burns, seizures, convulsions, nerve damage, or even result in a person’s heart stopping, making on-the-job electrocutions incredibly dangerous.

The Suffolk County personal injury law firm of McGuire, Peláez and Bennett is conveniently located in Central Islip near the Central Islip Court facility on Long Island. We will work diligently in every way to help you make the best of difficult times. We will help you to process your insurance and no-fault claims without charge to ensure that your medical expenses and property damages are compensated. We will also work with your doctors to monitor your recovery progress to ensure that you are reimbursed for your pain, suffering and economic loss. Please give us a call at (631) 348-1702, or visit our contact page to learn more.