Articles Posted in Construction Accidents

A construction worker was killed instantly last Monday when a concrete slab collapsed on him at a house construction site in Connecticut. Emergency responders arrived at the scene of the accident around 3pm and worked to rescue the 27-year-old man and a second worker was who also injured. The other worker was taken to Greenwich Hospital, and his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the fatal construction accident.

Here in Massachusetts, several local companies have been cited by OSHA for alleged trench hazards. The goal of OSHA safety investigations is to prevent workplace accidents like the one that recently claimed the life of a construction worker last week.

Source: Police ID man killed in slab collapse, WTNH.com, November 2, 2010
Worker killed by concrete slab collapse in Conn., NECN.com, November 1, 2010 Continue reading

On Thursday afternoon, a construction contractor employee was injured in a work zone after a protruding rail was reportedly hit by a passing vehicle, causing the rail to be deflected into the worker. The worker was loading piping that is used as railing to guide a concrete finishing machine, according to the incident report.

After suffering head injuries, the worker was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Local engineers checked the work area to ensure that applicable safety regulations were being followed.

Here in Massachusetts, the Brain Injury and Statewide Specialized Community Services maintains a list of resources and services for those have suffered an externally caused traumatic brain injury, Massachusetts residents of all ages who have a documented brain injury caused by external forces such as a car accident or a serious fall are eligible to apply.

Source: Construction worker hurt on Natcher Parkway, WFIE.com, October 29, 2010 Continue reading

Earlier this month, a construction accident injured a painter who was working on a platform below an interstate bridge. Crews shut down traffic in two lanes as they worked transport the man to safety and reopened traffic about an hour later.

The painter is expected to be OK, but the accident highlights the serious risk of fall accidents. Earlier this year, a Massachusetts worker fell from a forklift and died at a Yankee Candle Co. warehouse in Deerfield.

However, the majority of fatal falls in Massachusetts are from scaffolding accidents. That’s why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to follow safety standards regarding fall protection and proper safety training to prevent workplace injuries.

Source: Construction Accident On I-94 Bridge Snarls Traffic, WCCO.com, October 20, 2010 Continue reading

Recently, the 3rd Appellate Court of Appeals in Wisconsin made the decision that a subcontractor does not bear the responsibility for a construction site accident involving construction barricades placed by the subcontractor if those barricades are put up in accordance with instructions.

The case involved a woman who tripped over a leg of a barricade that had been placed around part of a concrete sidewalk while it was curing. The woman suffered two fractured wrist bones and chipped a third, resulting in surgery. She and her brother tried to sue the city of River Falls, where the tripping accident occurred, as well as the subcontractor hired by the city.

The decision stated that as long as the subcontractor follows the city’s instructions, they are covered by government immunity. The court recommended the decision for publication, indicating that should set a precedent in future cases.

According to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), subcontractors are responsible for their employees, including maintaining injury and illness logs, regardless of how many workers are employed by the subcontractor.

Source: Court rules construction site fall is not subcontractor’s responsibility, WisLawJournal.com, October 6, 2010 Continue reading

The United Kingdom has declared this week National Fork Lift Safety Week. As far as we could tell, there is no similar awareness week in Massachusetts or the rest of the United States, but perhaps it’s time.

According to stats recently released by the Fork Lift Truck Association (FLTA), 43 people, including two teens, are likely to be seriously injured by fork lift trucks in the UK over the next week.

Statistically speaking, this would include eleven serious, long-term injuries such as amputations and twenty pedestrians hit by a moving truck. Fatalities involving fork lifts occur on average every six weeks, and that rate doubles in September as companies add staff in preparation for the end of the year.

FLTA’s chief executive says managers and supervisors need to do a better job of enforcing safety regulations and training staff to avoid fork lift accidents.

Source: National Fork Life Safety Week, Abeceder.co.uk, September 19, 2010 Continue reading

A collapsed steel beam at a construction site in New Haven, Connecticut has injured four people. The construction accident occurred on Winchester Avenue around 10am today when the beam collapsed and feel about 30 feet, trapping a man under the beam.

Two of the injured workers are in critical condition and one is in serious condition, all at Yale-New Haven Hospital. The fourth worker is in stable condition at St. Raphael Hospital. The identities of the injuries workers have not been released.

The site building is owned by Yale University. Another accident reportedly injured another person at the same construction site a month ago.

Last month, a construction worker was killed after being pulled from the ruble of a Norfolk condo explosion. The 48-year-old man was stuck under the burning debris for an hour and a half before being rescued and taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where he died about 10:30pm that night.

The construction accident occurred at a condo being constructed at a community for people 55 and older. Authorities say they have not determined the cause of the explosion, but they believe it was accidental.

Several other workers were injured in the explosion, including a 72-year-old man from Foxboro, a 43-year-old man from Franklin, and a 17-year-old man from Wrentham. A resident who lived in an attached condo managed to leave the building herself. She was treated for exposure to the effects of the blast at Rhode Island Hospital.

Source: Construction accident, Telegram.com, July 31, 2010 Continue reading

Following a serious construction accident in Salem, Massachusetts, the Commonwealth has ordered the exterior walls to be removed from the new state courthouse. The $106 million courthouse construction project was to include 576 outside wall panels, but after a 500-pound limestone wall panel fell and seriously injured a worker, the contractor halted work on the panels.

A spokesperson for the agency overseeing the construction project said it would take a few weeks to remove the154 limestone panels that had already been installed, but it should not delay the project, which is due to open in the summer of 2011.

Federal investigators have gotten involved and are looking to discover the cause of the construction accident. The construction manager said he plans to conduct his own investigation. Both investigations could take several months to complete.

Source: State orders wall panels removed from Salem court building, Gloucester Daily Times, June 30, 2010 Continue reading