Construction Worker Dies After Being Trapped in Digging Machinery

According to Lehigh Valley Live, a construction worker at a new FedEx site was killed after being stuck in machinery in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Friday afternoon.

Details of the Workplace Accident

The fatal industrial accident occurred at a construction site for a new FedEx distribution hub off of Willowbrook Road at around 1:45 p.m. local time. A construction worker, 39, became trapped in an auger, a machine used for digging, at the work site.

According to Lehigh Valley Live, the man died in the accident. The identity of the man is being withheld until family is notified. The workplace accident is being investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Northampton County Coroner’s office.

Workplace Injury Statistics

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),

• In 2014, 4,821 workers died on the job.
  • On average, more than 92 workers died every week.
• Out of 4,386 worker fatalities in the private industry in 2014, 899 died in construction accidents.
  • 39 out of the 899 (4.3%) deaths were due to a worker being caught-in/between equipment or an object.
• The leading cause of private sector worker deaths in the construction industry is falls (39.9%).