Articles Posted in Construction Accidents

Earlier this month, a wall collapse at a sand plant in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin claimed the life of a 36-year-old worker. He was reportedly killed when a wall he was standing on collapsed, pinning him underneath and resulting in fatal compression injuries to his head and chest.

According to reports, three other workers were taken to the hospital but the extent of their injuries was unknown. The company involved in the fatal workplace accident says it is cooperating with investigators.

Here in Massachusetts, a construction accident in Lynn earlier this year killed a 39-year-old worker when a sandbag fell from the roof of a construction site, hitting him on the head.

Source: Man dies in Wis. construction site accident, Chron.com, December 21, 2010 Continue reading

Officials say a 51-year-old worker died in a construction accident earlier this month. The accident victim was working as part of a crew that was widening a stretch of Illinois 146 between the intersection of Illinois 3 and East Cape. A section of the work zone reportedly collapsed, and the man was trapped under at least a foot of drying concrete.

Traffic was stopped immediately following the accident and resumed about two hours later. A coroner declared the worker dead at the scene of the accident. The coroner’s office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the fatal workplace accident.

Here in New England, a 27-year-old construction worker died after a concrete slab collapsed on him earlier this year.

Source: Stonefort man victim in fatal construction accident, TheSoutherner.com, December 22, 2010 Continue reading

Following an explosion that injured a worker at a Salisbury maintenance facility in July, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a Massachusetts construction contractor with 11 alleged serious violations of safety standards. The citations carry a total of $44,000 in proposed fines.

According to accident reports, the worker was welding on a pontoon boat when vapors ignited from within the boat. OSHA investigators found that the boat lacked proper ventilation to ensure the escape of flammable gasses before welding. Additionally, investigators found that guards had not been set up to confine heat, sparks, and slag and combustibles were not properly shielded.

Although there were no fatalities in connection with the welding accident, OSHA’s area director for Essex and Middlesex counties said the accident underscores the importance of safety procedures because the worker’s injuries were preventable. OSHA investigates workplace safety issues and issues citations for safety violations, but in some cases there may be grounds for a work injury claim.

Source: Explosion at Mass. Maintenance Facility Leads to $44,000 Penalty, OHSonline.com, December 18, 2010 Continue reading

Last Wednesday, a construction worker was injured at a restaurant construction site after a wooden wall panel fell on him. He’d been standing on a semitrailer helping guide the wall panel as it was being raised by a crane when it fell to the ground and hit him.

Police reports initially stated that the 50-year-old man sustained non-life-threatening injuries; however, his son said on Friday that the worker was in an intensive care unit on a breathing tube. He’d reportedly suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs, a broken arm, and a broken back. There was no timetable given on when he would be released from the hospital, but his son said it could be months.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration plans to investigate the construction accident to determine if any safety regulations were violated. In additional to falling objects, construction workers are also at risk for explosions, electrical shocks, crane accidents, and other hazards.

Source: Construction accident victim is in intensive care unit, ArgusLeader.com, December 4, 2010 Continue reading

Last Thursday afternoon, a Massachusetts roof collapse seriously injured a worker who was standing on a shorter roof helping yank a gable from a home on Thorndike Street in Somerville. A wind reportedly took caught the gable and a large piece of the roof, which landed on him, resulting in a serious head injury. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital.

The Somerville Fire Captain said the workers had the proper permit but were not wearing hardhats. Seven other demolition workers were present at the scene of the accident but declined to comment. The 11-room, 2.5 story duplex they were working on was originally built in 1910.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) typically investigates the scene of construction accidents resulting in injuries to determine if any safety regulations were not followed.

Source: One man seriously injured in Somerville roof collapse, Wicked Local Somerville, December 7, 2010 Continue reading

Two UK workers were injured when the stone staircase they were taking apart by sledgehammers collapsed under their feet. Both were hit by falling debris, and the two are lucky to be alive, according to one safety expert.

One worker was trapped by blocks of stone and suffered fractures to all of his ribs and three vertebrae, a punctured lung, a damaged finger, and serious foot injuries. It took several men to shift the stone treads and free him. The other worker sustained bruises, cuts, and serious trauma.

Following an investigation of the staircase collapse, the building firm that employed the two injured workers has been fined the equivalent of about $9,300.

Here in the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) handles investigations of potential safety violations in the workplace. Several Massachusetts construction companies have been cited in recent years for failing to meet safety standards.

Source: Two Paisley workers are lucky to be alive after construction accident, Paisley Daily Express, November 26, 2010 Continue reading

According to the Yale Daily News, investigators from the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are still investigating whether safety violations were a factor in the September 13 construction accident that killed one worker and injured three others.

None of the three injured workers have returned to work following the accident, and of two of the three are still in the care of doctors. One of the workers underwent three surgeries at the Yale-New Haven Hospital, according to the president of the worker union Local 424 United Ironworkers. The worker’s injuries reportedly included eye damage, a broken pelvis, and a concussion. He was at a rehabilitation center in New York and expected to be sent home soon.

Another worker said that two months after the accident twisted his leg from the knee down, he has finally been able to bend his knee again, though he cannot put weight on his foot.

Many workers involved in accidents suffer similar injuries that require months of surgery and rehabilitation. Some injured workers are not able to return to work for months, if at all. That’s why our Massachusetts construction accident lawyers are committed to ensuring that you get the medical attention you need and the compensation you deserve following a serious accident.

Source: Investigation of fatal accident continues, Yale Daily News, November 30, 2010 Continue reading

Earlier this month, a construction worker suffered burns to over 50% of his skin after a major gas line explosion in Fort Myers, Florida. The 30-year-old worker was in critical condition at Tampa’s General Burn Unit. He was reportedly working the bulldozer that punctured the 8 inch line, and his brother rescued him.

Another accident victim sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene of the accident. The construction accident occurred around 2pm, and barriers surrounding the scene of the accident came down around midnight that night. Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration plan to investigate.

Here in Massachusetts, a gas explosion in Readville damaged several buildings, causing 40 homes to be evacuated earlier this month. Such explosions can cause significant damage to property and cause debilitating personal injuries.

Source: Roads back open after gas line explosion, WinkNews.com, November 12, 2010 Continue reading

Juan Alvarado, a 39-year-old Lynn man, was killed on Saturday when a sandbag fell from the roof of a construction site and struck him on the head.

The accident occurred at 60 Washington Street in Salem where a crew from Victor Sosa Construction Inc. was working on the roof. Alvarado was working for the company when the fatal accident occurred. He was taken to the North Shore Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is currently investigating the cause of the accident.

Source: The Boston Globe, Lynn man killed in worksite accident in Salem
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