Construction sites require hardhats for a reason—they’re not the safest places in the world to wander around unarmored. Even the most seasoned construction workers are at risk every time they pick up heavy equipment, wield high-powered tools, or traipse across beams teetering hundreds of feet above ground. Don’t believe me? Run a search in Google News for “construction accidents,” and then count the number of news-worthy results from the last week alone.
It’s because of these types of on-the-job accidents that
OSHA, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration, was put in place over 30 years ago to
create safer work environments. And even
when it’s not possible to make a location—especially a construction site—100%
secure, the state provides for injured workers with worker’s
compensation.
Crane Accidents
Because construction sites can be particularly volatile places to work, there are even more specific laws and lawyers in place to address specific injuries, safety violations, and accidents that may occur there. One particularly dangerous category of accidents deals with cranes.
Crane
accidents are all
over
the
news, and many of
them are unfortunately fatal. Most of
the ones I’ve linked involve deaths or injuries due to the crane tipping over,
but in reality, this is only the cause of 15% of crane accident deaths. A stunning 40% are actually caused by the
crane coming into contact with power lines and electrocuting the crane workers.
If you work on a construction site or oversee construction
projects, try to make sure that you and your coworkers are aware of the hazards
of this type of work. OSHA has videos
available for site supervisors on crane safety,
fork lift operation, and many other health and safety issues
surrounding construction site work.
If you have sustained
an injury while working on a construction site and believe that it was the
result of an unsafe work environment or lack of training, you should contact a construction
accidents lawyer immediately so that you can ensure your job security and,
where applicable, pursue monetary compensation.
