Fatal occupational falls in the Taiwan construction industry

Abstract

This study examined fatal occupational falls in the Taiwan construction industry. Data extracted from 1062 work-related accident reports filed in the years 1996–2007 in annual reports by the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) were analyzed in terms of gender, age, and work experience of the accident victim as well as activity at the time of the incident, personal protective equipment (PPE) worn at the time of accident, height of the work surface, and other accident-related factors (i.e. time of day, day of week, month of year, accident event, fall height) to identify significant contributing factors. The CLA data showed that roofing work was the activity most commonly associated with fatal falls (128 victims, 12.1%). Approximately, 30% (315 victims) of fatal events were attributed to falls from scaffold or staging. Age differences were also noted in fatality rate, which was highest in workers aged 34–44 years. Additionally, most (218 victims, 20.5%) workers who died were in their first year of employment with their current employer. Further, most (536, 50.4%) victims fell from a height of ≤10 m. Notably, most of the fall victims were not using handrails or safety belts at the time of the accident. These analytical findings provide guidelines for developing inspection strategies and programs for preventing occupational falls in the construction industry.