Occupational accidents predicting early retirement of construction workers in South Africa

Abstract

In 2018, the construction industry in South Africa experienced 5441 accidents, of which 49 were fatal accidents and 3 workers were forced into early retirement. The construction industry continues to lose workers not only to fatalities but also to early retirement, and this poses a problem to an industry faced with a shortage of skilled people. In this chapter, the types of accidents that result in permanent disability of construction workers leading to early retirement are discussed. Data gathered over ten years (2007–2016) were obtained from the Federated Employers Mutual Assurance (FEM) database. The data were analysed using an Excel statistical package. The analysis established that there were 91,197 accidents in the construction industry between 2007 and 2016. Further, the data revealed that there was a 15% chance of a construction worker being permanently disabled from a construction-related accident while at work. The major cause of injuries was being struck by an object. The most fatal injuries were caused by motor vehicles. Furthermore, the data showed almost a 2% chance of injuries leading to early retirement of construction workers. Despite the low probability of accidents leading to workers’ early retirement, it is imperative for construction workers to receive training in best practices for health and safety when they work on any construction project. This will reduce permanent disability further that leads to early retirement among construction workers in South Africa.