When workers arrive at the construction site, they put their lives in the hands of everyone who is working alongside them. Construction is one of the most dangerous industries when it comes to getting injured or killed while on the job. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 4,593 people were fatally injured while working in 2016. Of these deadly injuries, 991 or just over 21% were on construction sites. The most common hazards include falling, electrocution, being caught in-between objects and being hit by a falling object.
This is what happened to a Spring Valley worker who fell victim to a forklift accident. The 29-year old man was hit by three metal beams and later died of blunt force trauma. The I-beams that struck him were knocked off a trailer by a forklift that was being operated by another employee. As the forklift operator was piling the beams on the trailer, he knocked three of them off, hitting the man as they fell to the ground. The worker was unresponsive and was later pronounced dead at a Hillcrest hospital. OSHA is investigating the case to determine whether workplace violations or employee negligence was involved in the incident leading to the man’s death.
When people are killed or injured on-the-job, they may want to seek counsel from an attorney regarding their legal rights. A workers’ compensation attorney in California may help injured workers explore their options.
Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune, “Authorities identify worker killed by falling metal beams in Spring Valley,” Alex Riggins, Oct. 9, 2018.
