CEO/Founder/National Executive Director of Construction Angels, Inc.
Prioritizing Safety to Prevent Construction Fatalities in 2025 By Kristi Ronyak Road construction projects are among the most hazardous endeavors in the construction industry. Workers often operate in proximity to moving vehicles, heavy machinery and distracted drivers. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “struck-by” incidents — where workers are hit by vehicles — are a leading cause of fatalities on construction sites. “The safety of our workforce is the top priority at Michigan Paving and Materials, Stoneco, and Cadillac Asphalt,” said Rick Becker, president. “At our companies, we have implemented an employee-drive safety culture called ‘See, Stop, Do’ which encourages our teams and crews to speak up if they see any potential hazards within their workspace. We also regularly host toolbox talks and safety stand downs, during which daily safety goals and project initiatives are discussed. Still, no matter how much we as a company focus on safety, we still need the public to do their part to make sure our employees go home safe to their families at the end of the workday. We need everyone on the roads to slow down when entering work zones, keep your eyes on the road, and avoid being distracted by cell phone use while driving. We all have a part to play in keeping construction workers and motorists safe during daily activities. Even though our mission is to have zero workplace fatalities, we are grateful to partner with Construction Angels, who has provided assistance to our CRH family of companies during the tragic loss of loved ones due to a work zone intrusion.” The Construction Angels charity found that well more than half of the donations to families in 2024 went to roadway and underground fatalities. Most of the road construction fatalities we helped this past year were from vehicles striking our workers. There were a few hit-and-runs (speeding cars that were driving through and into our work zones), distracted drivers and workers that were setting up MOT (Maintenance of Traffic Plans) on day and night jobs. There were 5,283 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2023, a 3.7-percent decrease from 5,486 in 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) National Census of Fatal Occupational injuries reported on Dec. 19, 2024.