.jpg)
A 23-year old Virginia Beach, Virginia man with a lot of life before him is now dead as the result of a fatal industrial accident. The young construction worker was on the job when his equipment malfunctioned. He dismounted and began working to get it started again. It was then that another construction worker on a different piece of equipment was backing up and did not see him. The young man was crushed between the two pieces of equipment and died.
As Virginia (VA) personal injury lawyers we know that working in an industrial setting is dangerous. 4,405 workers were killed on the job in 2013 which is on average, 85 a week or more than 12 deaths every day. OSHA has identified Construction’s “Fatal Four Injuries.” Out of 3,929 worker fatalities in private industry in 2013, 796 or 20.3% were in construction―that is, one in five worker deaths last year were in construction. The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites were:
- Falls — 294 out of 796 total deaths in construction in CY 2013 (36.9%)
- Struck by Object — 82 (10.3%)
- Electrocutions — 71 (8.9%)
- Caught-in/between — 21 (2.6%)
Eliminating the fatal four would save 468 workers’ lives in America every year. Companies need to stress a quick response time when accidents occur, vigilance and responsibility when handling potentially dangerous equipment, and promoting a team environment where everyone on the work site is focused on the safety of not only themselves, but their co-workers.
CT
