Summary and Conclusion
There is no way to protect construction workers from every accident that could possibly befall them. The nature of the work is such that complete safety is not guaranteed or even realistically possible. However, that does not mean that the number of fall accidents that occur cannot be reduced. Quite often, it is not a true accident but actual carelessness that is the cause of injuries and deaths on construction sites. Many construction workers forego safety harnesses, for example, because they can be cumbersome and inconvenient. They can make the work take longer, and make it more difficult for the worker to move around. That is especially true in cases where required work means the construction worker will have to unhook and re-hook his harness frequently. This aggravation is a small price to pay for saving lives, but the value of a harness is only seen if the use of it is enforced. On many construction projects, shortcuts are taken to avoid aggravation, higher costs, and slower creation times. This can be harmful to the workers, and can also get the construction company...
Rules are already in place, and OSHA does its best to enforce those rules and keep them up-to-date so they benefit the largest number of workers possible. It is not realistic for OSHA to be everywhere, though, and many workers do not want to report unsafe conditions -- or do not realize there are violations on their job site. They want to do the work and move on to the next job. Many of them are very careful, but any shortcuts can cause serious problems and should be avoided. Additionally, working in freezing temperatures can slow reflexes, harden ground, make surfaces slippery, and generally make it more difficult to function. That has to be taken into account when considering safety measures to avoid construction falls.
References
Burke, K. & Tracy, T. (2014). Queens construction worker is dead in horrifying accident. New York Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/fatal-accident-queens-article-1.1247254
