Fall at construction site leaves three workers with injuries

On Behalf of | Jun 22, 2012 | Workplace Injuries

Construction is a fact of life around large cities like Philadelphia. New buildings cost money, but unfortunately because of improperly followed safely regulations, they also exact a human toll through worker injuries and deaths. Three construction workers are recovering from workplace injuries they sustained when one of them fell from an apartment building.

According to reports of the incident, winds were blowing at high speeds at the construction site. A worker on the sixth floor lost his balance and caused injury to two others when he landed. Information was not available on whether the worker fell to the fifth or fourth floors, but all three injured workers were treated and released the same day at an area hospital.

A workers’ advocacy group suggested that construction companies should halt construction when weather conditions pose a threat of injury to their employees. The group also said that the construction site has been the subject of a number of reported safety violations, which include a lack of proper protective railings and poorly constructed scaffolding. The contractor operating the site affirmed its commitment to safety in a company press release.

Falls are just one of the many dangers that can affect workers in the frequently dangerous construction industry. A study conducted by the advocacy group and the University of Texas at Austin, which is where the accident took place, revealed that 20 percent of construction workers in Texas will have to visit the hospital over the course of their careers to treat an injury sustained on the job. That is the highest rate in the nation. Workers’ compensation can help to defray the often high costs of hospitalization and subsequent rehabilitation.

Source: The Daily Texan, “Three workers injured after fall at West Campus construction site,” David Maly, June 21, 2012.

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