Despite a decrease in the number of injuries in 2019, the construction industry is still the most dangerous for workers.
Jul 16, 2020
From: Itzik Simon
The Ministry of Labor and Welfare recently published a comprehensive report on the “Activities of the Safety Administration in the Labor Sector” for 2019.
The report addresses work accidents across all industries, but it shines a clear spotlight on the construction sector, in particular analyzing trends within the field. The report’s authors examined the issue from multiple perspectives, including:
The rate of work accidents in the construction sector compared to all other industries.
The relationship between work accidents and increases in construction starts (both in absolute and relative terms).
The connection between a construction company’s classification and the occurrence of accidents on its sites.
The type of residency of those injured in the construction sector.
The primary causes of death in construction-related work accidents.
The municipalities where the majority of serious work accidents occurred.
A critical reading of the report’s data presents a mixed picture. On one hand, the construction sector remains the most dangerous industry for workers in Israel. On the other hand, there is a noticeable trend of declining injury rates in 2019.
It is entirely possible that these are the first fruits—or at least the early signs—of measures taken by the government to increase oversight, enforcement, and penalties, as well as to raise awareness among those working in the sector.
The road to a safer industry is still long. As noted above, construction remains extremely hazardous for its workers, especially regarding fatal accidents, in which a worker is killed, or serious accidents, in which a worker is severely injured—potentially becoming disabled and leaving their family in financial distress.
To help make sense of the data, we will briefly highlight the key points from the report—points which, in our view, may assist in addressing this serious issue, an issue that, as an insurance agency operating in the construction sector, concerns us continuously and around the clock.
By: Itzick Simon
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs recently published a comprehensive report on the "Activities of the Occupational Safety Administration" for 2019.
The report deals with work accidents throughout the economy, but shines a clear spotlight on the construction industry. In particular, it analyzes trends related to the field, as the report's editors examined the issue from several perspectives. For example:
- The rate of work accidents in the construction industry relative to all industries in the economy.
- The relationship between work accidents and the increase in the volume of construction starts (between absolute and relative numbers).
- The relationship between the classification of the construction company and the occurrence of a work accident on its sites.
- The type of residency of the victims in the construction industry.
- The main causes of death in work accidents in the construction industry.
- The localities where most of the serious work accidents occurred.
A critical reading of the report's data reveals a mixed picture. On the one hand, the construction industry is still the most dangerous for its workers in Israel. On the other hand, there is a certain trend of a decrease in the number of casualties in 2019.
It is quite possible that these are the first fruits (or at least the beginnings of fruit) of moves being made on behalf of the state to increase supervision/enforcement/punishment, as well as to increase awareness among those involved in the industry.
The road to the promised land is still long. As noted above, the construction industry is still considered a very dangerous industry for its workers. Especially when it comes to fatal work accidents in which a worker is killed, or serious work accidents in which a person is seriously injured (and as a result, he becomes a wreck, and his family becomes destitute).
In order to put things in some order, we will briefly list key points that stand out from the report. Points that, in our opinion, can help in dealing with this difficult phenomenon, a phenomenon that, as an insurance agency dealing with the construction industry, troubles us continuously and around the clock.
Number of construction accident fatalities per 100,000 workers
As Israel's population grows, two figures also grow consistently:
Construction starts - from about 30,000 construction starts in 2010 to about 55,000 construction starts in 2019.
The number of people employed in the industry – from about 227 thousand in 2010 to about 306 thousand in 2019.
The number of workers exposed to risks in the construction industry cannot be a missing variable in the analysis of trends in serious and fatal accidents. The report's editors took this parameter into account when presenting accident data per 100,000 employees.
It is important to emphasize that there is volatility throughout the years 2010-2019, but not significantly one way or the other. Despite the extensive activity on increasing safety, the risk to which workers are exposed remains relatively the same throughout the years 2010-2019.
As Israel's population grows, two figures also grow consistently:
Construction starts - from about 30,000 construction starts in 2010 to about 55,000 construction starts in 2019.
The number of people employed in the industry – from about 227 thousand in 2010 to about 306 thousand in 2019.
The number of workers exposed to risks in the construction industry cannot be a missing variable in the analysis of trends in serious and fatal accidents. The report's editors took this parameter into account when presenting accident data per 100,000 employees.
It is important to emphasize that there is volatility throughout the years 2010-2019, but not significantly one way or the other. Despite the extensive activity on increasing safety, the risk to which workers are exposed remains relatively the same throughout the years 2010-2019.
The Ministry of Labor report analyzes the fatal factors in work accidents in the construction industry and refers to the fact that in recent years, emphasis has been placed on saturated construction (high-rise), partly in light of the shortage of land for construction (especially in areas of demand) and the increase in the rate of population growth.
In 2019, for example, 40 workers in the construction industry were killed in Israel, 19 of them due to falls from a height. Other fatal factors mentioned in the report are collapsing walls or a facility (11 workers), falling objects (6 workers), and electrocution (2 workers). Incidentally, about 4% of serious accidents occur in the air conditioning industry. In this context, see an article we published on this painful and tragic topic ( A Must-Have Guide: Who is Responsible for Insuring Air Conditioning Installers? ).
The report's editors also noted the danger of falling from heights in the broad perspective of the last three years. If in 2017 the rate of fatalities from falls from heights out of all accidents in the construction industry was 40%, in 2019 the numbers climbed to about 48%.
The report highlights steps designed to deal with the difficult phenomenon. For example, implementing clauses relating to falls backed by an agreement signed with the Histadrut in November 2018, including promoting extensive legislation, changing policies, increasing resources, tightening safety enforcement, and maintaining collaborations with influential parties such as the Histadrut, the Israel Police, the Ministry of Housing, the Ministry of Finance, and the Israel Builders Association.
In the above context, we can mention actions such as promoting an amendment to the Construction Works Regulations regarding scaffolding, following which (since July 2019) the European standard has become a mandatory standard. On July 27, 2020, another phase of the law will come into effect, and it will also require the construction of scaffolding above a height of 8 meters, and only at the end of January 2021 will it require the construction of scaffolding in general, regardless of its height. (In a side note, we note that scaffolding importers and manufacturers expressed resentment over the amendment and their cries did not fall on deaf ears. In light of their requests, the Ministry of Labor forwarded a demand to the Standards Institute to come up with effective alternatives.)
Build higher, fall higher
The most dangerous localities (Tel Aviv?)
The report's editors found a connection between the construction boom in certain localities and the definition of localities and cities as particularly dangerous for construction workers. First, it was found that about 50% of fatal work accidents occurred in the last three years in the area between Gedera and Hadera. Similarly, the city of Tel Aviv was the "record holder" for fatal accidents in 2017 and 2018 (5 deaths each year). Another city that joined the bloody statistics is Yavne, but this is apparently due to one fatal work accident that occurred there in 2019, which caused the deaths of four construction workers in a crane collapse.
The report's data shows a correlation between the danger of an accident in a particular city and the extent of safety orders distributed at construction sites in its municipal area. For example, Tel Aviv finds itself in second place on the list of cities whose sites received safety orders - 266 orders in 2017-2019 (second only to Jerusalem with 352 safety orders distributed at construction sites in the capital area in the years in question).
The report states that in light of these numbers, activities to increase the fight against work accidents in the construction industry will focus on cities with a high rate of work accidents, including monthly operations at the district level that will be carried out in cooperation with the police and local authorities.
Construction contracting companies in Israel differ from each other in their contractor classification, with the highest classification being Classification C5. According to the Regulations for Registration of Contractors for Engineering and Construction Works (Classification of Contractors Registrations), 1988, this classification permits work on any type of project and any size in terms of financial scope. However, while these players can be expected to serve as an example, given their position at the top of the pyramid, it appears that it is their employees who are at the greatest risk.
58% of construction workers killed in work accidents in 2019 worked on construction sites of contracting companies with a C5 classification. Approximately 11 contracting companies of this size received more than 10 safety orders at their sites last year.
The share of contracting companies with the highest classification in work accidents
Much has been said about the fact that injured workers in the construction industry belong to disadvantaged populations. Often, as life experience shows, the injured person is the main breadwinner in his family, and sometimes he is the sole breadwinner. His injury can cause the collapse of the entire family, and sometimes even have effects on wider circles.
As for foreign workers and Palestinian workers (residents of Judea and Samaria), their risk of being injured in a fatal work accident is high relative to their representation in the workforce. In 2019, approximately 40 workers were killed on construction sites in Israel, 21 of whom were foreign workers or Palestinian workers (7 and 14 respectively).
Residency and citizenship of the victims
In conclusion
The Safety Administration's activity report once again updates the thesis that the danger that lurks at the doorstep of a worker on a construction site in Israel is high and real. Although 2019 was marked by a certain "decrease" in the number of accidents, in a long-term perspective it appears that Israel is still not managing to provide an appropriate response.
As we said at the beginning of the article, as an insurance agency that deals with construction insurance, and which sees the difficult and tragic side of accidents (both in the economic aspect of the collapse of businesses and ventures, and of course in the personal and human aspect of the breakdown of the family), it is important for us to raise the issue.
The responsibility lies with all of us. From the lowest-ranking worker to the legislator and the executive branch, we must join forces to increase efforts to "flatten the curve" of workplace accidents in the construction industry.
The Safety Administration's activity report once again updates the thesis that the danger that lurks at the doorstep of a worker on a construction site in Israel is high and real. Although 2019 was marked by a certain "decrease" in the number of accidents, in a long-term perspective it appears that Israel is still not managing to provide an appropriate response.
As we said at the beginning of the article, as an insurance agency that deals with construction insurance, and which sees the difficult and tragic side of accidents (both in the economic aspect of the collapse of businesses and ventures, and of course in the personal and human aspect of the breakdown of the family), it is important for us to raise the issue.
The responsibility lies with all of us. From the lowest-ranking worker to the legislator and the executive branch, we must join forces to increase efforts to "flatten the curve" of workplace accidents in the construction industry.
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