Massachusetts Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog

A pipeline construction accident left a construction worker seriously injured after the worker’s clothing became tangled in a road boring machine, causing him to be pulled into the machine or into the hole.

Jeremy Morris, 30, was transported from the scene of the construction accident to LSU hospital. The Laney Directional Drilling Co. worker suffered extensive internal and external injuries and was listed in critical condition.

This marked the second accident in the area in as many weeks. The earlier accident resulted in the death of a worker whose clothing was caught in a piece of machinery on a drilling rig. That worker died at the scene of the drilling rig accident.

Simsboro man seriously injured in pipeline construction accident, Shreveport Times, November 18, 2008

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This morning around 10:30am, a construction worker was taken to the hospital via airlift following a construction accident near the intersection of US 29 and Calohan Road. According to the county sheriff’s office, an overturned crane at a Bojangles restaurant injured the worker. The injured worker’s name and condition were not released to the press.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over five thousand construction workers were killed in construction accidents in 2006, while many more sustained serious injuries. Construction site hazards include explosions, crane collapses, fires, electrical shock, and excavation accidents, which may result in internal injuries, disfigurement, or severed limbs.

Worker taken to hospital after construction accident, NewsAdvance.com, November 24, 2008

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Last Thursday, a North Andover Department of Public Works worker was injured. The explosion is under investigation; however, it is believed that the explosion may have been caused by fumes from a cutting torch.

Kenneth Wedge, 59, was using the acetylene torch to remove the top of a barrel. It exploded and surged 20 feet into the air, throwing Wedge about 5 feet. Wedge’s pants caught fire after the explosion, but he was able to snub out the flames by rolling on the ground. The accident victim endured second-degree burns and a broken right arm, but no internal injuries were found.

As a result of the accident, the DPW will institute new worker training to prevent future explosions and OSHA’s industrial accident division will examine reports and police photographs from the accident.

DPW explosion under investigation, WickedLocal.com November 19, 2008

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A volunteer firefighter in Provincetown, Massachusetts has been charged with speeding and operating a fire truck dangerously. The charges are the result of an investigation into a November 9 accident that totaled Provincetown’s only ladder truck.

The firefighter, Elias Martinez, 21, was driving the fire truck during a routine test. Investigators say the truck’s front wheel hit a curb and flipped over an estimated four times. Both Martinez and his passenger were treated for minor injuries at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis.

An accident reconstruction report prompted police to cite Martinez for speeding, as well as failure to use caution at an intersection and operating a vehicle negligently, a misdemeanor carrying a maximum sentence of two years.

The date for Martinez’s arraignment at Orleans District Court has not been set.

Massachusetts Firefighter Cited in Ladder Truck Crash, CMS.Firehouse.com, November 18, 2008

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Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are examining the cause of a construction accident that claimed the life of a 21-year old construction worker. The worker was killed when a concrete pipe rolled onto him in the ditch where he was working to put in a storm drain system for a new housing division.

A representative from the local fire department said the pipe had to be lifted off the worker with heavy equipment. The pipe reportedly measured 8 feet long with a diameter of 30 inches. The construction accident victim was taken the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities have confirmed that the worker was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the construction accident. The reason for the pipe’s movement is unknown.

Coroner: Man killed at job site not intoxicated, Denver Post, November 13, 2008

Grand Junction man dead in construction accident, KXRM.com, November 13, 2008

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A steel erection contractor in Marshfield, Massachusetts has been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for a total of 14 alleged safety violations. Barco Metal Fabrication faces $55,600 in proposed fines as the result of an OSHA investigation prompted by an incident involving an employee who fell 20 feet at a Pembroke, Massachusetts worksite in June.

During the investigation, representatives from OSHA found construction workers performing steel erection work at heights of 20 feet without proper fall protection. Because OSHA’s standard requires use of an effective form of fall protection, like lanyard and safety belts, the contractor received a willful citation with a proposed fine of $28,000.

Other potential worker hazards included a lack of ladder safety training, damaged welding leads, lack of training on how to operate and recognize hazards related to aerial lifts, and other serious safety violations totaling $27,600 in fines. The contractor has 15 business days to meet with OSHA or contest the citations.

OSHA proposes $55,600 in fines against Marshfield, Mass., contractor following employee fall at Pembroke, Mass., jobsite, HR.CCH.com, November 5, 2008

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Last week a construction accident killed one worker and injured another. Police said that the two workers were putting a roof on a home around 11am when the accident occurred. The placed an aluminum ladder against the house, and the ladder struck something electrically charged.

By the time police arrived at the scene of the construction accident, the victim had already died. Police would not release his name until they had notified next of kin. The injured worker was transported to Fairmont General Hospital for treatment.

The construction accident is still under investigation by engineers from Allegheny Energy and officers from the Fairmont Police Department.

One man killed, another injured in construction accident, TradingMarkets.com, November 5, 2008

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A Dracut, Massachusetts construction company has been fined $14,700 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration following the death of a construction worker on June 3. Robert Augeri, 31, a worker employed by Brox Industries was working on an overnight highway paving project on Interstate 495 when he was killed by a Mack drump truck. It was the first fatal accident in a Massachusetts Highway Department construction zone in more than a decade.

According to regional director for public affairs with the US Department of Labor, OSHA is still investigating the company that owned the dump truck. It has six months from the time of the construction accident to conclude its investigation.

Brox was cited for three different safety violations: not properly training each employee on how to avoid unsafe conditions, not adequately illuminating the work areas, and not developing safety programs for directing trucks in areas where workers are on foot. OSHA considers these violations to be serious, according to the citation.

OSHA fines company in worker's death on I-495, The Eagle-Tribune, November 1, 2008

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A service technician who was working on a new high school wing suffered electrical burns as the result of a construction-related accident. Paramedics arrived at the school where the accident occurred around 8:35 am. The accident victim was alert and able to answer questions when they arrived. He had sustained injuries to his left arm.

Officials say the technician was working on a boiler trying to put it into temporary service. The boiler was not in use at the time of the accident, and the man was working alone. He is an employee of a mechanical contracting firm based in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The severity of his injuries is unknown but authorities say that they range between first and third degree burns. The construction accident victim’s name has not been released.

Worker burned in RB construction accident, RBLandmark.com, October 28, 2008

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