A whopping 4,209 workers were killed on the job in 2011. In the construction industry and especially the material handling industry, it is incredibly important to implement safety training, including fall protection training, heavy equipment training and other OSHA training courses.

Interestingly, in the United Kingdom, there were only 148 construction fatalities in 2012-2013, an 18 percent decrease from 2011-2012. The more companies implement construction safety training courses, the less accidents happen, because when people are vigilant and focused and aware of how to avoid injury and accidents, they mess up less.

In the United States, the number of fatally injured construction workers has decreased by around 200 people on average every year from 2008 to 2013. Clearly, companies and workers alike are taking more stock in safety practices, as no one wants to get hurt and no company wants lost productivity.

In May, 2013, the average hourly wage for a construction worker was just a touch over $26. To keep workers busy and get the most out of the company, construction firms typically mandate construction safety training. On top of that, workers who slack off or fool around are typically fired and not asked back. However, quality construction workers are valuable, and companies would often rather keep their workers working instead of hiring new workers regularly.

Construction companies that have high quality equipment and safety training have actually been shown to have accidents less frequently. At the end of the day, the material handling industry and construction industry are two of the industries that invest the most in safety training, as they are two of the riskier industries, and neither can afford lost productivity, injured workers, or worker’s compensation lawsuits.