Deadliest Construction Projects in the Modern Era

The people over at Gizmodo and Safer America have put together a stunning visualization of "The Human Cost of Construction".  It is an amazing and often untold look into just how dangerous of a profession construction can be. Most of the deadliest construction projects were large infrastructure projects in the early 20th century.  As would be expected, the Canals, Railways, and Tunnels took the top spots with massive numbers of human casualties.  What's most alarming to me, however, is the World Trade Towers in New York City that were completed in 1973;  sixty people lost their lives constructing the two towers, which seems unbelievable that this could happen in America only 40 years ago.  

Safer America

Safer America, in conjunction with the DAM firm, a California Law Firm, also put together a great website with a timeline that takes you through each of the construction projects.  The data shows that construction has become safer in recent years, and that makes what is happening in Qatar for the World Cup (soccer tournament) so upsetting.  Construction in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup started in 2012, and if the current death rate for the 9 construction projects continues as it is trending, about 4,000 people are expected to lose their lives.  A sobering statistic, for sure.  As of today, 1,200 workers have already lost their lives to heat exhaustion, long hours, and poor living conditions on top of "slavery-like" conditions.  The Qatar World Cup has already been riddled with controversy and it looks as though it will continue.  

The interactive timeline is definitely worth a look and can be found by clicking the link directly below called, "The Human Cost of Construction."

The Human Cost of Construction | DAM Firm

The World's Deadliest Construction Projects, Visualized | Gizmodo

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