Small construction companies report higher injury rates
A recent bulletin from CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training shows 42.4% of construction industry deaths in 2022 happened at companies with 10 or fewer employees, according to Safety + Health magazine. The bulletin was based on data from the Bureau of Labor statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Additionally, workers at construction companies with 11 to 19 employees accounted for about 8.1% of deaths in 2022.
Other findings from the bulletin include:
- Fatal injuries at companies with 10 or fewer employees jumped to 27.5% from 2011 to 2022. During the same period, all construction deaths increased nearly 40%.
- The nonfatal injury rate for construction employers with 10 or fewer employees was 0.8 per 100 full-time workers, which is double the rate of nonfatal injuries for companies with more than 1,000 employees.
- In 2023, 2.7 million employees were at construction companies with fewer than 20 workers, accounting for 91% of the employees in the industry.
- In 2023, about 2.9 million workers were self-employed or independent contractors, which was up from 2.4 million in 2014.
CPWR said workers at small-sized construction companies often face higher injury rates because of a lack of resources, training programs and proper equipment.
To protect workers from job hazards, visit NRCA’s health and safety resource page at nrca.net/safety.
IBHS expands Wildfire Prepared Designation program
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety has expanded its Wildfire Prepared designation program to 10 additional states, bringing the total to 14. The expansion is in response to increasing demand for proven, research-based wildfire mitigation actions that help homeowners and builders in high-risk areas better protect their homes and neighborhoods from wildfires.
The program was previously available in California, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon. The program is now also available in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Established in 2022, Wildfire Prepared is built on the latest IBHS research examining how homes ignite during wildfire events and the mitigation measures that most effectively reduce spread from home to home.
Wildfire Prepared Home outlines essential actions to reduce risk from wind-driven embers, and Wildfire Prepared Home Plus outlines an enhanced level of protection against radiant heat and direct flame contact. Homeowners can earn the designation by completing a set of science-based steps verified by a third party.
The program also includes Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood, which recognizes builders and communities working together to reduce home-to-home wildfire spread.
Learn more at wildfireprepared.org.
Roofing company fined after fatal fall
The Department of Labor cited Pasat Roofing and Solar Energy, Weston, Fla., for willfully exposing employees to safety hazards after a worker suffered fatal injuries and another worker was seriously injured, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The company is not an NRCA member.
On Sept. 24, 2025, OSHA investigators found two workers from Max Home Services LLC, Weston, Fla., operating as Pasat Roofing and Solar Energy, installing tarp when they slipped from the roof of a two-story home into an empty pool. One employee suffered fatal injuries and another sustained serious injury.
OSHA cited Pasat Roofing and Solar Energy for willfully allowing both employees to work without personal fall protection at heights exceeding 20 feet. The company also reportedly did not adequately train employees to recognize fall hazards and did not implement a hazard communication program for workers using hazardous chemicals.
OSHA cited Pasat Roofing and Solar Energy with one willful and two serious violations and proposed $172,324 in penalties.
Pasat Roofing and Solar Energy has contested the findings before the independent OSHA Review Commission. Penalties and citations may be adjusted during the case process.
Learn how to reduce roofing-related injuries and deaths with NRCA’s safety classes, Power Hours and publications at nrca.net/education.
