Falls are second-leading cause of death on the job

Last year, the number of deaths resulting from on-the-job falls rose slightly to 717. This increase, along with a decline in homicides, made falls the second-leading cause of fatal work injuries for the first time since the fatality census began in 1992. Highway crashes continued as the leading cause of on-the-job fatalities during 1999.

About half of the fatal falls were from a roof, ladder, or scaffold, and slightly more than half of the fatal falls occurred in the construction industry.
Source: Safety Currents