*Click for COVID-19 NOTICE*

Maintenance Worker Injured In Fire

A maintenance worker was injured on March 15 when a fire broke out in an apartment building in Oxford Circle, PA. The worker was injured when he tried to rescue two residents. According to the article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the two residents died and the worker suffered smoke inhalation and minor burns. http://www.philly.com/2011-03-16/news/28698170_1_maintenance-worker-smoke-inhalation-apartment (article no longer exists on philly.com)

The cause of the fire was unknown at the time the article was published. It is possible smoking played a role. According to the Centers for Disease Control, smoking is the leading cause of fire-related deaths. Many residential fire-related deaths are preventable and continue to pose a significant public health problem.  A person died in a fire every 175 minutes in 2009 and one was injured every 31 minutes. http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Fire-Prevention/fires-factsheet.html

Every year, fires are the cause of hundreds of worker fatalities. In 2009, out of the 4,340 U.S. workers who died on the job, 113 workers died in fires.  Pennsylvania recorded a total of 3 workers who died in fires that year. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf There were 147 maintenance workers who died in 2009.

The worker who was injured in this apartment fire would be well advised to seek the advice of a worker’s compensation attorney. Cherry Injury Law have helped many workers pursue claims for injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries due to an on-the-job injury, call them today for a free, confidential consultation with one of their attorneys. They can guide you through the entire process of your workers’ compensation case.