STATISTICS AND CASE STUDIES

Falls from height: STATISTICS

67 FATAL INCIDENTS IN 03 /04
50% of fatal accidents in construction are due to falls from height.

NEARLY 4000 MAJOR INJURIES IN 03 /04
Two thirds of major injuries in the construction industry result from falls of less than 2 metres.

THE SINGLE BIGGEST CAUSE OF WORKPLACE DEATH

COST TO INDUSTRY - £400 MILLION
The estimated cost to the construction industry alone.

Falls from Height: CASE STUDIES

Case No.1
A 24 year old plumber died when he fell through a skylight to a concrete floor 22 feet below.

Case No. 2

An 18 year old sheet metal helper died after falling 33 feet to a concrete floor.

Case No. 3

A 26 year old sheet metal mechanic died when he was knocked through a roof opening and fell 22 feet.

Case No. 4

A 39 year old electrician’s mate died when he fell through a smoke vent to the floor 16 feet below.

Case No. 5

A labourer working on a third level scaffold that was covered with snow and ice slipped and fell head first 22 feet to the pavement below.

Deaths of the kind shown above are as a result of head injuries. A mans torso is considerably heavier than his legs. As a result a man will usually descend headfirst. If a man falls backwards from an upright position it takes a distance of approximately 4 feet for the body to pivot in the air. It is therefore possible to hit the ground head first from a distance of just 4 feet. This is potentially fatal.

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