Falls are the second most common mechanism of fatal unintended injury in the US [1] and the leading cause ofnonfatal and fatal injuries among construction workers. Fall accidents also lead to significant financial costs, projectdelays, and reputational damage. In this paper, we surveyed the available literature on different factors contributingto the risk of falls. Over 250 empirical and theoretical papers were reviewed. We identified major causes of falls atmultiple levels of analysis, from workplace design factors to cultural, organizational, and incentives related to safetymeasures. On the basis of this assessment, we found that the homogeneity of the literature is not appropriate forconducting a structured meta-analysis. In response, we aggregated the current knowledge in a causal structuralmodel. These findings are expected to contribute to better design of data collection and modeling studies, supportengineering prevention efforts, organize the knowledge base, and inform policy and intervention design to reducethe risk of falls in the construction industry.
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