They've fallen through skylights, had arms amputated after a high-voltage electric shock, been burned in a gas cylinder explosion, had scaffolding collapse on them, shot through the heart with a nail gun, accidentally amputated a hand and been killed by a runaway truck.
A string of horrific accidents lately -
many in Auckland - has left construction workers suffering terrible, sometimes fatal, injuries.
It's men, and particularly those working on building, sites who are suffering especially. The events have resulted in high-profile publicity, making construction appear to be horrifically dangerous.
Yet data from Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa, WorkSafe NZ, shows the industry with the highest number of fatalities from February 2021 to January 2022 was actually transport, postal and warehousing, where 17 deaths were recorded.
Construction came second with 11 deaths, followed by agriculture's six deaths, six more in agriculture/forestry/fishing support services, and "other services", with five deaths.
