Articles Posted in Construction Accidents

Here in Massachusetts, we’ve had several notable subway and construction accidents in recent years. Workers in China face many of these same hazards; in fact, two workers were killed in a Beijing construction accident earlier this week.

On Wednesday, emergency response crews retrieved the bodies of the two workers whose bodies were buried under debris. The steel supporting the structure reportedly collapsed around 4:30pm local time, pouring steel, rocks, and dirt on top of the construction workers.

Eight other workers sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. The cause of the construction site accident is still being investigated.

Source: Two killed in Beijing subway construction site accident, Xinhuanet.com, July 14, 2010 Continue reading

On Friday morning, a sub-contractor working on upgrades to a power plant at a college in Virginia was injured by a falling pipe. The iron and insulation pipe reportedly measured 40 feet long with a one foot diameter.

Firefighters from a nearby city responded to the construction accident.

The unidentified construction accident victim suffered a laceration and bruises on one leg. He was taken to a local elementary school, where he was airlifted to the hospital. A spokesperson for the college said the sub-contractor’s injuries were non-life-threatening.

Source: Worker at W&M hurt by falling pipe, The Virginia Gazette, June 25, 2010 Continue reading

CBS 3 Springfield News reports that this is shaping up to be a busy summer for Massachusetts construction crews. With federal stimulus dollars backing new construction projects, crews are out in full force drilling, digging, and working. While this is good news for many of the workers employed in these projects, it also means increased risk of workplace accidents. Among those hazards are explosions or cave-in accidents.

That’s why Westfield firefighters and firefighters from Holyoke, Pittsfield, and Boston are learning how to save someone who’s been buried alive. Trench rescues require different equipment and expertise from fires and other types of accidents. Often, it can take four to six hours compared to the hour and a half that it might take to put out a fire.

It can also be dangerous for the rescuers, because of the risk of unstable ground. Fire officials remind the public that bystanders should not rush in and help at a construction accident, because they could get injured themselves.

Source: Danger in the Trenches, CBS 3 Springfield News, June 9, 2010 Continue reading

Earlier this week, a Massachusetts worker was injured during his morning coffee break when pieces of a 500-poud panel fell on him. The 34-year-old man was working at the J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center, a new court facility being constructed on Salem’s Federal Street. Construction on the facility began in 2008.

The accident occurred at 9:37am on Tuesday and reportedly caused serious injuries to both of the worker’s legs and one of his arms. When emergency responders arrived at the scene of the accident, they found broken chunks of the panel scattered around the victim, a Stoneham resident.

He was transported by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. OSHA is investigating the construction accident.

Source: Court project worker hurt as 500 pounds of rock falls, Gloucester Times, June 15, 2010 Continue reading

Over the weekend, a highway construction accident seriously injured a worker when he was hit by a car. Police said the 22-year-old man was working in a construction zone early Sunday morning when an eastbound vehicle entered the two-lane construction zone and hit him around 2:15am Sunday morning.

The injured worker was taken to Saint Mary’s Health Care, and driver allegedly responsible for the construction accident was arrested at the scene of the accident. Police say they believe alcohol may have been a factor, but they have not released any additional details.

The workplace accident remains under investigation.

Source: Lansing man injured in construction accident, Lansing State Journal, May 17, 2010 Continue reading

In December, a Newburyport scaffolding accident injured two workers who were working on the roof of a two-story home. The scaffolding apparently collapsed and threw the two men to the concrete sidewalk below, causing back and head injuries to both men, one of whom was the contractor himself. They were airlifted separately to Boston hospitals.

While investigating the construction accident, OSHA inspectors found six proposed six safety violations at the job site where the two men were injured. Four of the violations carry proposed fines of $2,100 each. The other two carry $1,500 fines. All six of the violations were classified as “serious.”

According to OSHA, the scaffolding was inadequate and employees were not protected from fall hazards or properly trained to work on a scaffold. OSHA also alleges that the job site was not equipped with protective systems to prevent falls and that the ladder was unsecured. The contractor has filed notice that it will be contesting the fines.

Source: OSHA seeks fines in Kent St. building accident, The Daily News, April 14, 2010 Continue reading

On Wednesday, a traffic collision on Route 3 South in Plymouth sent a highway worker to the hospital with minor injuries.

The Boston Channel reports that a Massachusetts State Police cruiser rear-ended a construction vehicle. The police officer driving the cruiser was apparently not injured.

According to reports, the motor vehicle crash occurred just before noon roughly one mile north of the Sagamore Bridge. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the auto accident.

Sources: State Police Cruiser Strikes Construction Vehicle, TheBostonChannel.com, April 14, 2010
Highway worker hurt when cruiser hits truck on Route 3, Patriot Ledger, April 14, 2010 Continue reading

A wall collapse at an elementary school construction site has killed a 57-year-old construction worker. A gust of wind apparently blew over a cement block wall under construction, falling on the construction accident victim.

The area was experiencing severe thunderstorms at the time of the accident, and various reports showed gusts of up to 50 mph. Workers called it a freak accident.

The fatal construction accident occurred in Blairsburg, Ohio at 12:03pm Friday afternoon. Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating the incident.

Sources: Construction worker dies in accident at NE Hamilton Elementary School, Radio Iowa, April 2, 2010

Worker Dies In Wall Collapse Near School, KCCI.com, April 2, 2010 Continue reading