A worker was seriously injured in a construction accident where he fell two stories after stepping backwards into an opening in a house that was being built. The 30-year-old worker cracked his head on the basement floor and sustained a traumatic brain injury. While the rescue was complicated by the fact the basement stairs had yet to be built, emergency crews were eventually able to extract the worker and he is expected to survive. Fall Hazards are the Most Common Cause of Fatal Construction Accidents According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), fall hazards contribute to more than 30 percent of all fatal construction accidents. Additionally, falls are the cause of 28 percent of all spinal cord injuries. However, these deaths and injuries are preventable when construction companies follow these three steps: Create a plan beforehand – When workers must operate from heights, such…
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A worker was injured in a construction accident last month that resulted in second-degree burns on his torso and arms. According to a statement released, the construction worker was transferring fuel from underground tanks to newer tanks above ground. As the worker was cutting into the old tank to clean it, sparks from the device slipped into the tank and it ignited. This caused an explosion that hurled the worker approximately five feet away and sent flames shooting as high as 30 feet in the air. Are Burns a Common Type of Construction Accident? When you think of a construction accident, fall hazards, being struck by objects or machine hazards come to mind. Few consider the risk of burns or explosion. However, construction site burns are actually somewhat common and can be debilitating and very painful injuries. Typically, construction site burns are caused by the following: Electrocution Explosions Hot water…
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Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) paid a visit to Solvay Specialty Polymers USA, LLC, and it cost the facility $115,000. OSHA inspected the facility as part of its national effort to emphasize safety within chemical facilities and stop them from exposing workers to chemical hazards. According to OSHA’s report, the plant was cited for multiple federal process safety management (PSM) regulations and eight serious workplace safety violations, including: Failing to develop written procedures for process equipment maintenance Incomplete equipment safety information Failure to inspect and test the process equipment Failure to follow OSHA’s procedures on managing changes made to process chemicals, equipment, technology and facilities Failure to respond to a previous compliance audit (which resulted in repeat safety violations) OSHA focused its inspection particularly on workplace exposure to vinylidene fluoride, which is a liquefied flammable gas used and made at Solvay Specialty…
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