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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

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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

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An OSHA news release from Friday says that Centimark Corp., a Chelmsford roofing contractor, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for serious alleged safety violations. The contractor is looking at the possibility of $40,000 in fines after an employee was injured when he fell from a 10-foot roof at a New Hampshire work site.

OSHA inspected the site and found that workers were not adequately protected from falls and that no competent person had conducted an inspection to identify or fix the fall hazards. A warning line system was being used, but the pitch of the roof was so steep that it required something more effective like a personal fall arrest system, according to the news release. An OSHA area director said that a competent inspection would have uncovered the need for a better system and prevented the hazard.

OSHA issued a repeat citation for $35,000 for inadequate fall protection and a $5,000 serious citation for the failure to conduct an adequate inspection. The repeat citation arises from similar violations from 2009 and 2010 in Illinois, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Centimark has 15 business days from the receiving the citation to contest it.

Source: OSHA Regional News Release, Chelmsford, Mass., roofing contractor faces $40,000 in fines from US Labor Department’s OSHA following worker fall at Milford, NH, jobsite

When employers fail to protect workers from fall hazards and a worker is injured on the job, workers’ compensation can cover medical and rehabilitation costs, a percentage of your average income, and other compensation. If you have been hurt on the job, our attorneys have the experience and skill to handle your case and get the best results for you.
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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

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Last Thursday afternoon, a scaffolding collapse at a construction site injured two people. The workers were papering the side of a duplex house and reportedly fell 22 feet when a chain being used to secure the scaffolding broke. The construction accident occurred around 1pm in Sea Isle City, NJ
Police identified the workers as a 32-year-old man and a 24-year-old man. Both injured workers suffered chest and back pain. One of the workers may have broken his wrist. They were airlifted to the trauma unit of a local hospital.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 88 people died as a result of scaffolding accidents in 2007. Even if these types of accidents are not fatal, they can lead to serious and debilitating injuries such as broken bones, fractures, brain injuries, and even paralysis.

Source: Two Injured in Sea Isle City Construction Accident, Cape May County Herald, November 18, 2010 Continue reading

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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

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Earlier this month, an accident on a construction site in Salem, Massachusetts claimed the life of a 39-year-old man. He was killed when a bag filled with gravel fell four stories, landing on top of him. Three workers from a Beverly construction company were working on repairing a roof in downtown Salem when one of the bags fell roughly 60 feet.

According to NECN, emergency medical crews were able to briefly revive the construction accident victim before taking him to Salem hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Firefighters say a bystander across the street saw the bag of gravel falling and tried to prevent the fatal accident. Here in Massachusetts, bystanders who make a good faith effort to assist in an accident, providing emergency care, are protected by Good Samaritan Laws.

Source: Man killed by falling bag filled with gravel in Salem, Mass., NECN.com, November 13, 2010 Continue reading

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Here in the Bay State, authorities have recently updated the paperwork requirements for workers’ compensation for some out-of-state contractors doing business in Massachusetts. The Division of Industrial Accidents started requiring a Form 154 this summer to verify workers’ compensation insurance for businesses that had no physical location in the state.

However, the form reportedly subjected workers’ comp insurance agents, carriers, and their clients to fine and stop work orders, because it required a 10-day advance notice of cancellations, a requirement that many insurers are not able to issue. Safety regulators apparently agreed to drop the requirement last month.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue website, out-of-state contractors undertaking a construction contract in Massachusetts are also required to deposit with the Commissioner of Revenue a sum equivalent to 6.25% of the total amount of the contract. Alternatively, they may provide the Commissioner with a Guarantee Bond equivalent to 6.25% of such total amount.

Source: Massachusetts Revises Workers’ Comp Paperwork Snafu, Insurance Journal, November 5, 2010 Continue reading

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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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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

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