Accident types and barrier failures in the construction industry

Abstract

The paper identifies frequent accident types in the construction industry, characterises the accident sequence, and identifies barrier failures for the most frequent accident types. 176 accidents in the Norwegian construction industry investigated by the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority in 2015 are analysed. The most frequent accident types include: fall from roof, floor or platform; contact with falling objects; fall from scaffold; and contact with moving parts of a machine. A comparison of the study sample to other injury samples, showed that the distribution of accident types varied regarding severity and different construction types. This can be explained by differences in work type, hazard, and energy type and energy amount. An analysis of barrier failures showed that many accidents are explained by the lack of physical barrier elements. The results indicate that there is significant potential for accident prevention in the construction industry by systematic barrier management.