Construction Site Fall Kills 1, Injures Another

A normal day on the job quickly turned tragic in Mid-May. Two construction workers were loading their supplies from their platform into a third story window when they fell. The “platform” was actually a wooden crate, which was hoisted up by a hydraulic lift. The crate tipped and fell off, taking the workers with it. Officials are not sure if the two construction workers were wearing harnesses at the time of the accident.

According to reports, one worker died at the scene. The other sustained life-threatening injuries, and is currently being treated at a local hospital. The incident happened at the Mary Eaves apartment complex near West 16th Street and Myrtle Avenue in Jacksonville around 11:50 a.m.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is currently conducting an investigation into the incident. According to an OSHA official, compliance officers were already present on site, documenting exactly what happened.

As is so happens, the week this accident occurred was also OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. During this week, employers are encouraged to educate their workers about the dangers of falls, and implement ways to prevent such incidents from occurring. In addition, the Northeast Florida Safety Council held a free event to demonstrate best fall prevention practices.

Only about 12 people came out to the event. None of the participants were from the contracting company that is in charge of the apartment construction site.

Falls consistently top OSHA’s list of most common causes of death on the job. In 2015, 350 workers were killed in falls — over one third of all construction fatalities. In addition, Florida’s workplace fatality rate is the second-highest in the country.

If you have been injured on the job in Pensacola, and workers’ compensation just isn’t covering your bills, you may be able to recover greater damages. Contact the attorneys at Emmanuel, Sheppard & Condon today for a free case evaluation.