How important is taking Canadian first aid courses for employees in the construction industry? Many business owners often refuse to pay for first aid courses and first aid kits since they assume that workplace injuries do not often escalate to a fatality. However, recent statistics clearly show that the construction industry is one of the most fatal industries even in developed countries including Canada. Here are some of these statistics.
Construction Industry Fatality in the United States
According to the United States Department of Labor, 19.6% of workplace fatalities that has been recorded in 2012 occurred in construction sites. This is equivalent to 775 workers who died while working on a construction site in 2012 alone which is higher than the recorded number of deaths in construction sites for 2011 which is only 738. This is why it does not come as a surprise that the construction industry has the highest number of workplace fatalities in comparison to other industries for 2012. These fatalities were often caused by falls which is accountable for taking the lives of 278 employees out of the 775 who died while working at a construction site.
It is also worth noting that there was also an increase in the total number of hours that an average construction worker or employee would put in for work in that particular year. There was also a spike or a sudden increase in the number of workplace injuries in the construction industry in 2012 which is surprising since the number of injuries in the construction industry was at a constant decline from 2007 to 2011.
Construction Industry Fatality in Canada
According to Work Safe BC, otherwise known as Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia Statistics, it was revealed that employees in the construction industry accepted the most number of claims for fatal benefits. In 2003 and 2012, the industry with the highest number of employees who reported back pains or back injury is construction. It was also reported by the Employment and Social Development Canada that in 2008, the highest number of workplace injuries was seen in the construction industry. It was also identified as one of the most dangerous industries in Canada.
These numbers just goes to show that employees who work in the construction industry are more prone to injuries and fatalities than employees who work in other sectors or industries. This is why investing in first aid and CPR training programs is important not just for employees but for construction industry supervisors as well.