One of the main reasons why construction work is so dangerous is because workers often do their jobs at high elevations. This means if equipment fails and safety gear does not work as expected, a worker could suffer a major fall. Falls are a leading cause of injury on construction work sites and are considered to be one of the fatal four, or top four causes of construction fatalities.
Just recently, the risks of working at high elevation were made clear by a tragic accident that happened. The incident involved the collapse of a platform. A New York building collapse lawyer can provide help in situations where workers are hurt because of a collapsed platform or in any circumstances where a worker falls from a high elevation. Victims who sustain injury can obtain benefits, as can family members of workers who are killed in accidents on-the-job.
Platform Collapse Leads to Construction Fatality
The New York Post reported on a recent tragic accident in which a platform collapsed while a worker was on the platform doing his job. The incident occurred at a construction site located at 401 Ninth Avenue, near 33rd Street. The construction work being performed at this site is part of a large-scale redevelopment project that is scheduled to be completed by 2020. The building at which the construction worker was doing his job is called 1 Manhattan West.
The construction worker was 62-years-old and was standing on a platform that was made of wooden planks. The worker was 16 stories off the ground on the platform. Unfortunately, the wooden planks that the worker was standing on gave way while the worker was up in the air. The worker fall down when the platform collapsed, losing his life.
Unfortunately, incidents like this one are far too common in construction and often have similar fatal results. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a total of 350 fatal falls to a lower level occurred in 2015. These fatal falls accounted for around 37% of the total fatalities within the construction industry, as there were a total of 937 construction workers who died over the course of the 2015 year.
OSHA indicates that all workers who are doing their jobs at least six feet above ground level are at serious risk of being hurt or killed if something goes wrong. There are strict regulations OSHA has put in place to try to protect these workers. Employers, for example, are mandated to provide appropriate safety gear as well as the right scaffolds and ladders for workers. Employers not only must make sure staff members have the right equipment but must also provide appropriate safety training.
Regardless of whether employers fulfill these obligations or not, workers or their family members are entitled to workers’ compensation injury or death benefits if a work-related fall happens. To find out more, contact a New York building collapse lawyer as soon as possible for help pursuing a claim for the benefits you are entitled to after you or a loved one suffers a fall at work.
