
The numbers don’t lie: The most dangerous jobs you can work in New York State – or anywhere else in the country, for that matter – are found within the construction industry.
Construction had the most fatal occupational injuries out of all industries in the United States and in New York in 2014, according to the most recent national statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Fatal Occupational Injuries – United States – 2014 | |
Industry | Fatalities |
Construction | 899 |
Transportation & Warehousing | 766 |
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 584 |
Government | 435 |
Professional & Business Services | 425 |
All Industries | 4,821 |
However, while construction had the highest total number of deaths, the industry did not have the highest fatality rate (number of deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers). Instead, the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry had the highest rate at 25.6.
Fatality Rate – United States – 2014 | |
Industry | Rate |
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 25.6 |
Mining & Extraction | 14.2 |
Transportation & Warehousing | 14.1 |
Construction | 9.8 |
Wholesale Trade | 5.1 |
All Industries | 3.4 |
Fatal Occupational Injuries – New York – 2014 | |
Industry | Fatalities |
Construction | 50 |
Government | 37 |
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 27 |
Transportation & Warehousing | 19 |
Leisure & Hospitality | 19 |
All Industries | 241 |
Why Are Construction Jobs So Dangerous?
Construction workers simply face a wide range of hazards when they arrive at the job site each morning. As the below BLS statistics show, falls from heights such as roofs, ladders and scaffolding clearly present the deadliest risk:
Among the many other risks that New York construction workers face on the job are:
- Getting struck by objects and materials such as tools or debris
- Accidents involving trucks, forklifts, demolition and excavation machinery and equipment
- Burns from fires, explosions and electricity mishaps
- Using dangerous tools, machines and materials
- Handling and moving heavy materials
- Trench collapses or cave-ins
- Being exposed to the elements and air contaminants.
While some of these risks are inherent in construction work, many of them can be minimized or eliminated altogether by employers in the construction industry strictly following state and federal safety regulations.
In fact, New York Labor Laws require employers in the construction industry “to provide reasonable and adequate protection for the lives, health and safety” of their workers and all of those in the area of construction activity.
Any construction site owner or contractor who fails to live up to this duty may be held liable for any harm that results from this neglect, regardless of what a contract states or what local customs and practices may be.
For nearly three decades, the personal injury lawyers of Powers & Santola, LLP, have helped injured construction workers and their families in Albany, Syracuse and throughout New York to seek the justice and compensation they deserved.
We can review your case today. Contact us for a free consultation.