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Construction sites are some of the most dangerous places to work. Not only is there heavy equipment but other hazards are also often present such as elevated heights and trenches. If safety precautions aren’t strictly followed, workers can easily be injured or killed at construction sites.
Earlier this week, a construction worker was killed in a trench collapse about an hour outside of Philadelphia in Middletown, Delaware. According to officials, the 62-year-old worker was operating an excavator and digging out a trench as part of a sewer line project when the trench collapsed, burying the worker.
Apparently, an inspector found the worker in the trench while his head was still above water, but when the inspector returned with help, the worker’s head was buried in the mud. The worker had died by the time rescue crews were able to dig his body out of the trench.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been called in to investigate the death, which has been ruled an accident.
When a worker is seriously injured or killed at a construction site, an investigation often takes place to determine if safety violations contributed to the accident. If so, companies in charge of the construction project could not only face government fines but also personal injury lawsuits.
Although a lawsuit can never take away the pain of being seriously injured or losing a loved one in a workplace accident, it can help provide financial security during this difficult time. Workers’ compensation, including survivor’s benefits, may also be an option following a serious workplace accident.
Source: NBC Philadelphia, “Contractor Killed in Trench Collapse ID’d,” Sept. 25, 2013