Introduction and Objectives
The construction sector serves as a vital element of the U.S. economy. However, it is well-known for its elevated fatality rates among workers. This research examines the potential association between deaths in the construction workforce and the economic contribution of the construction sector. Information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, spanning 2017 to 2021, will be employed to achieve this objective.
The analytical plan comprises two components: first, determining the statistical correlation between fatalities and GDP output, and second, conducting z-standardized variable analysis to evaluate the effects of GDP fluctuations on deaths. The hypothesis suggests a link between economic activity in the construction industry and the number of worker fatalities. Every aspect and facet of construction is a health risk, which cannot be meaningfully reduced to ‘safe’ levels. Thus, construction workers need to be compensated for the risks they take engaging in the job, where wages monetarily account for all hazards.
Literature Review
The construction industry has long been recognized as a high-risk sector, with construction trades workers exposed to various occupational hazards that can lead to severe injuries or fatalities. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic output of the construction sector has been declining, accompanied by a reduction in deaths (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022). 2022 was the industry’s lowest GDP output year in the past several years, but there is no official data on fatalities (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2022). However, 2020 and 2021 showed a downward trend in GDP output and fatalities, which might indicate that the fatality rate is inherent to construction (Choi & Staley, 2021). The reason is that the construction process in all facets and dimensions is high-risk, and it is impossible to mitigate them to make the occupation safe.
The risks include falls, slips, trips, machinery, strength requirements, environmental hazards, and heavy objects. A detailed study by Helmick and Petosa (2022) titled “Workplace Injuries and Job Requirements for Construction Laborers” sheds light on construction laborers’ specific hazards and the resulting injuries and fatalities. The study focuses on the physical requirements of construction laborers, their exposures on the job, and the injuries they incur.
According to the study, falls, slips, and trips accounted for 35.3% of workplace deaths within construction and extraction occupations in 2020 (Helmick & Petosa, 2022; Sanni-Anibire et al., 2020). Among the 345 construction occupation deaths from falls, 96 occurred among construction laborers (Helmick & Petosa, 2022). In the case of the environment, heat is an additional occupational hazard, leading to burns, exhaustion, and overheating (Dong et al., 2019). In other words, construction workers are exposed to greater occupational risk.
One of the most problematic aspects of construction is heights, unsafe surfaces, and heavy machinery, which lead to falls. Construction laborers accounted for 27.8% of falls, slips, or trips among workers in construction and extraction occupations, and 31.2% of all deaths for construction laborers came from falls, slips, or trips (Helmick & Petosa, 2022).
It is noted that more than 30% of construction laborers are required to drive motorized vehicles or equipment, a significant percentage compared to first-line supervisors of construction and extraction workers, where 86.2% are required to drive (Helmick & Petosa, 2022). Transportation incidents have been identified as the second-highest cause of death for construction laborers (Choi et al., 2019). Sixty-five construction laborers (21.1%) died due to contact with objects and equipment.
Thus, the machinery and construction materials significantly threaten construction workers (Zhang et al., 2020). One can see how every aspect of the construction is a health risk for the laborers, indicating that fatality is inherent in the industry. If this is the case, the only solution is to account for these risks in workers’ wages through transparent reporting.
Data/Testing Description
The dataset for the given research is acquired and collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which contains information from 2017 to 2021. It presents data on fatal occupational injuries for selected occupations, and the prime interest is fatalities among construction trade workers, as shown in Table 1 below (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022). These fatality figures will be utilized as parameter A to make meaningful comparisons with parameter B. The latter is comprised of GDP from construction in the United States, obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2022), as shown in Table 1 below. The dataset selected includes five yearly data points, with the sixth data point to predict if there is a statistical significance between the GDP output of the industry and fatalities.
Table 1.
Note. Created by author.
Parameter A refers to the number of U.S. construction trade worker deaths due to occupational risk.
Parameter B refers to the GDP number from the construction industry in the U.S.
Analysis Plan
The analysis plan comprises two parts. The first is to establish a statistical correlation between the number of fatalities and the GDP output of the construction industry. To ascertain whether a correlational pattern exists, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis will be utilized. Pearson correlation coefficient will be utilized to assess whether or not the number of fatalities is correlated with economic activity in the construction industry, as shown in Equation 1 box below.
For the second part, if there is some level of correlation, then the z-standardized variable analysis will be performed to assess if the recent drop in the GDP of the construction industry will reduce the number of fatalities. Z-standardized variable analysis refers to converting raw data points into standardized scores, commonly known as z-scores, shown in the Equation 2 box below. This transformation allows for easier comparison of data points measured on different scales or units. The z-score represents the number of standard deviations a data point is away from the mean of its distribution.
Expected Results
The expected results of the research are to uncover any potential associations between the number of fatalities among construction trades workers and the GDP output of the construction industry and to offer suggestions for mitigating risks or improving safety measures. The number of deaths may be a mere product of the economic activity of the construction industry. The data analysis is expected to reveal connections between the examined parameters and disclose hidden trends that could signal potential hazards. The implication is that if construction fatalities are inherent in the construction industry and cannot be meaningfully reduced, workers need to be adequately compensated with the risks accounted into wages monetarily.
References
Choi, S. D., & Staley, J. A. (2021). Safety and health implications of COVID-19 on the United States construction industry. Industrial and Systems Engineering Review, 9(1), 56-67. Web.
Choi, S. D., Guo, L., Kim, J., & Xiong, S. (2019). Comparison of fatal occupational injuries in construction industry in the United States, South Korea, and China. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 71, 64-74. Web.
Dong, X. S., West, G. H., Holloway-Beth, A. P., Wang, X., & Sokas, R. K. (2019). Heat-related deaths among construction workers in the United States. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 62(12), 1047-1057. Web.
Helmick, N., & Petosa, J. (2022). Workplace injuries and job requirements for construction laborers. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Web.
Sanni-Anibire, M. O., Mahmoud, A. S., Hassanain, M. A., & Salami, B. A. (2020). A risk assessment approach for enhancing construction safety performance. Safety Science, 121, 15-29. Web.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2022). United States GDP from construction. Web.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022). Fatal occupational injuries for selected occupations, 2017-21. Web.
Zhang, Q., Yang, L., Ma, C., Zhang, Y., Wu, L., & Mao, H. (2020). Emission characteristics and chemical composition of particulate matter emitted by typical non-road construction machinery. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 11(4), 679-685. Web.