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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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A Freetown man and former Massachusetts prison guard is accused of worker’s compensation fraud. Prosecutors allege that the 45-year-old man collected over $50,000 in worker’s comp benefits between January 2009 and Mach, during which time he ran a half-marathon and a full marathon.

He’d apparently sustained a work-related injury in July 2008.

The man has pleaded not guilty to the fraud charges and was released on personal recognizance at his arraignment several weeks ago in Suffolk Superior Court. The charges reportedly resulted from anonymous tip.

Source: Mass. prison guard accused of worker comp fraud, Boston Herald, October 27, 2010 Continue reading

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Last night, a Massachusetts police officer sustained injuries to the cheek and hand after being shot in the line of duty. The officer was connected with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He and two ATF agents were serving a warrant in Somerville when a 21-year-old allegedly opened fire. The suspect was shot and pronounced dead at Somerville Hospital.

According to Somerville’s Police Chief, this was the first Somerville cop he knows of to be shot in the line of duty. The officer was in stable condition at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Although police officers are exposed to hazards are the job, such as gunfire, car crashes, and explosions, they are not covered by Massachusetts’ workers’ compensation system. Firefighters, railroad workers, and independent contractors are also excluded from the system.

Source: Officials ID officer shot in line of duty, Boston Herald, November 3, 2010 Continue reading

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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

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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

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On Tuesday afternoon, a construction accident injured two workers after the scaffolding collapsed on them. The two men were reportedly working on scaffolding inside the Cleveland County Jail construction site when cinder blocks underneath them gave away, resulting in a fall of between 12 and 18 feet. By the time firefighters and emergency crews arrived at the scene of the scaffolding accident, workers were already attempting to pull their coworkers from the debris.

One worker reportedly suffered a back injury, while the other had multiple leg fractures and contusions. Their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. The construction company said it is investigating what caused part of the scaffolding to collapse.

Here in Massachusetts, we’ve seen a number of fatal scaffolding accidents in recent years. According to the Massachusetts Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Project (FACE), the majority of workers who fall to their death in the state do so from scaffolds. In fact, a 29-year-old carpenter died after slipping off a scaffolding platform on an unguarded carpenter’s bracket scaffold. Another Massachusetts man, a 69-year-old mason, fell 20 feet to his death when a plank underneath him slipped.

Source: Scaffolding collapses on construction workers, Norman Transcript, October 20, 2010 Continue reading

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Although this blog frequently reports on Massachusetts construction accidents and similar hazards, construction workers are not the only ones to face serious hazards in the workplace. In fact, the service industries account for 70% of all on-the-job illnesses or injuries (that’s 1 in 1.43 incidents). That’s compared to just 1 in 62.44 non-fatal workplace accidents in the information industry and 1 in 32.69 in the financial industry.

The highest proportion of workplace deaths, 1 in 2.46, is caused by transportation accidents such as bus, subway, or trolley accidents. Surprisingly, only 1 in 36.34 workplace deaths are caused by fires and explosions.

But regardless of the industry, workplace accidents can result in serious injuries or death. That’s why it’s important for all employers to take responsibility for workplace safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration monitors potential hazards and issues fines and citations to companies that fail to comply with safety standards.

Source: Workplace Safety, Book of Odds, October 17, 2010 Continue reading

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On Thursday evening, a state trooper suffered minor injuries after an alleged drink driver hit his cruiser. According to state police, this traffic accident marks the sixth time this year a trooper has been hit by an alleged drunk driver while in a cruiser.

The trooper was headed to work in a marked cruiser when he noticed cruisers with emergency lights heading towards him. He positioned his vehicle in the path of a driver who was fleeing from Milford police, and the driver collided with the cruiser. The driver reportedly jumped out of his pickup truck and was arrested after a brief chase. He refused chemical breath tests and was charged with drunk driving on the basis of his glassy eyes, unsteady feet, and the smell of alcohol.

According to a Milford police report, the driver was charged with operating under the influence (second offense), marked lanes violation, possession of alcohol in a car, failure to stop, and reckless operation of a motor vehicle. If the driver is found guilty of a second offense of OUI in Massachusetts, the penalty is jail time of 30 days to 2½ years, a fine of $600-$1,000, license suspension for up to two years, and a requirement to install your car with an interlock device. It could also result in probation and/or inpatient admission to an alcohol treatment program.

Source: State trooper is sixth hit this year by alleged drunk driver, Boston Globe, October 15, 2010 Continue reading

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Our Massachusetts workplace injury lawyers have been following various accidents around the country. Last week, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced proposed fines of $75,000 after the death of a worker earlier this year. An investigation of the paper mill uncovered “repeat and serious violations” of workplace safety standards.

A 40-year-old worker died after being crushed between a metal wall and a 5,000-pound roll of paper on a conveyer belt. Inspectors found that the area lacked guards to prevent employees from getting caught between the two objects. In addition, investigators found a lack of eye and face protection for workers performing voltage testing on live electrical circuits, although this was unrelated to the fatal workplace accident.

OSHA requires employers to report deaths on the job within eight hours. Investigators from OSHA will then examine the circumstances surrounding the death to determine if any safety regulations were violated. The maximum penalty is $7,000 for each serious violation or $70,000 for a repeated or willful violation. These penalties do not factor in the cost of an injury or illness or the value of the worker’s life.

Here in Massachusetts, an Athol man was injured at a paper mill in Erving when a 900-pound roll of paper crushed his leg.

Source: Worker’s death to bring fine by OSHA, Buffalo News, October 8, 2010 Continue reading

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