ABSTRACT
Compared to other branches of business, the construction industry has a high tendency for accidents. Although construction companies, as well as the professional associations responsible have taken great preventive measures to reduce the absolute number, there are still between two and a half and three times more accidents in this industry than in any other. The most typical type of construction accident involves only the individual and is typified by a combination of unlucky events, individual actions, and carelessness on the part of the victims themselves. This chapter illustrates the specific risk problems that commercial construction bears by using authentic accident examples and addresses typical characteristics of the field of construction as a whole. These examples show that, taking current developments in the construction industry into account, an enormous amount of effort will be necessary to even maintain, let alone improve, the unsatisfactory situation today concerning the number of accidents.
