Study of construction accidents in Sri Lanka

This paper summarizes the results of a study which examined the accidents that take place at Sri Lankan construction sites as recorded in the Industrial Safety Division (ISD) of the Ministry of Labour. The paper intends to provide a profile of construction accidents in Sri Lanka compared to other industries. In addition, it portrays the occupational and demographic characteristics of the victims. The number of fatal accidents are high in the construction industry compared to other industries. The ISD data show that falls are the single most common cause of fatalities. This is followed by electrocutions and "Struck-by" incidents. Falls are more frequently associated with roofs and scaffolding. "Struck-by" incidents are the major cause of non-fatalities. Electricians and Unskilled Workers have been found to be over-represented among accident victims. Workers over 60 years of age and under 20 years of age have been found to be over-represented among fatalities.