Articles Posted in Construction Accidents

Earlier this week, a three-story building collapsed unexpectedly, injuring three construction workers and a passerby. The building accident occurred around 1:30pm Monday afternoon in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The workers were reportedly adding a fourth floor to the building and removed a critical beam, which made the building unstable.

One construction worker was trapped in the debris for roughly 20 minutes while coworkers and passerby worked to free him. He was buried up to his neck and was transported to Bellevue Hospital in critical but stable condition.

Injuries to the other two workers were less severe. One injured worker escaped with minor injuries, and another refused medical treatment after sustaining minor bumps and bruises. A pedestrian who rushed to aid the injured workers was taken to the hospital for observation.

A building department spokesperson said building violations will be issued in connection with the incident.

Source: 3 construction workers and a passerby hurt in Williamsburg building collapse, New York Daily News, March 29, 2010 Continue reading

Last week, an unidentified construction worker fell into an uncovered 20-foot shaft and sustained severe injuries, including a potential traumatic brain injury and a leg injury. The shaft reportedly houses a lower concrete platform that stores mechanical equipment. According to the San Antonio Express-News, the construction accident occurred around 7:45am at San Antonio College’s Nail Technical Center.

Rescue teams rushed to the scene of the workplace accident and pulled the worker out of the shaft. He was apparently conscious while rescuers transported him to a local hospital for medical treatment. It was unclear whether the man was wearing a hard hat at the time of the fall or why the metal grate was left open.

The construction accident remains under investigation by local authorities and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Source: Construction worker injured at San Antonio College after falling into 20-foot hole, JusticeNewsFlash.com, March 1, 2010 Continue reading

Earlier this week, two construction workers died after the trench they were working in collapsed on top of them, burying them alive. The deadly workplace accident occurred in Oklahoma around 2:45pm on Tuesday.

Local fire officials reported that the workers were digging a hole for a septic tank when the trench collapsed. Due to unstable soil, rescue crews were not able to immediately rescue the men, ages 32 and 44. Crews finally recovered their bodies by 10:30pm that night.

The cause of the trench collapse is not known, but the United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration will be investigating this fatal accident, and the state medical examiner’s office will perform an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Source: Two Oklahoma construction workers buried alive, JusticeNewsFlash, February 23, 2010 Continue reading

OSHA is reportedly wrapping up its investigation of Middletown Middletown gas plant explosion that killed five workers and injured 21 workers earlier this month. The state’s public safety commissioner announced on Tuesday that he anticipates the investigation will wrap up over the next several weeks. While the site is no longer considered a crime scene, investigators have not ruled out a possible crime.

OSHA is investigating the accident site along with Massachusetts state police and the US Chemical and Safety Board. According to federal law, OSHA has up to six months complete an investigation and determine whether any safety regulations were violated.

According to Middletown’s chief building inspect, it appeared that the workers had performed a purge of gas lines by sending nitrogen through the line, followed by natural gas to clear out any moisture, which is “an accepted and approved method.”

Source: OSHA investigating Middletown gas plant explosion site, The Register Citizen, February 17, 2010 Continue reading

According to officials from the Massachusetts National Guard, two civilian construction workers were injured earlier this week while renovating a vacant barracks. The construction accident occurred around 9:22am on Wednesday when a cement ceiling collapsed. The workers were apparently dismantling part of the suspended plaster and concrete ceiling in a first-floor bathroom.

One of the workers sustained non-life-threatening injuries to his back and knee. He was reportedly taken to Falmouth Hospital. The other suffered a serious but non-life-threatening head injury and was flown to a hospital in Boston.

The names of the injured workers have not been released and officials from OSHA plan to investigate the scene of the accident to determine if any there were any health or safety violations.

Source: Camp Edwards ceiling collapse injures two, Cape Cod Times, February 18, 2010 Continue reading

On Sunday morning, a power plant under construction exploded into flames, killing at least five workers in Middletown. Officials are unsure of what caused the explosion, but it occurred around 11:17am while workers were testing the plant’s connection to a natural gas pipeline.

The mayor of Middletown said they were not able to determine exactly how many workers were onsite at the time of the explosion, because many of them were subcontractors. Because the construction accident occurred on a weekend, there were believed to be about 60 workers at that time.

The names of those dead were not released, because authorities still need to notify the families. This construction site explosion happened less than a week after federal regulators called for stricter safety measures during the installation and maintenance of gas pipes.

Source: At least 5 dead in power plant explosion, NewsTimes.com, February 7, 2010 Continue reading

Last year, a Massachusetts construction accident injured four workers when a ladder jack scaffold gave way. Following the accident in August, 2009, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated and discovered that the contractor had violated safety regulations. As a result, OSHA has proposed almost $55,000 in fines.

According to authorities from OSHA, the ladder jack scaffold bore too much weight and was beyond capacity. The workers also lacked protective head and eye gear, as well as training on scaffolding and fall protection. In addition, misused, damaged or inadequate extension ladders had created fall hazards.

OSHA cites employers when their unsafe work environment creates a high risk of death or injury due to lack of training or safety precautions. The company has fifteen business days from receipt of the citations to comply, contest the findings, or take part in an informal conference with OSHA’s area director.

Source: OSHA fines Legacy Builders 15 violations after Boston construction accident, NewYorkInjuryNews.com, February 2, 2010 Continue reading