Construction Worker Suffers Injuries after 20-foot Fall at Worksite
According to the Union Leader, a subcontractor suffered injuries on the job after a workplace accident at a construction site in Rindge, New Hampshire, on Wednesday morning.
Details of Construction Accident
The accident occurred at a construction site located on Route 119 near the Cathedral Business Center at around 10:45 a.m. local time. Officials say a 34-year-old construction worker was working on the frame of the building when a 60-foot-long chain of trusses collapsed. The worker was on top of the trusses when they fell, causing him to fall approximately 20 feet to the ground.
The Union Leader reports that the unidentified construction worker, a Rindge resident, was conscious and alert following the fall. He suffered from chest and rib injuries and was transported to Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough. Hospital officials revealed that the man also sustained a back injury in the construction accident.
The Rindge fire Chief said a forklift was used to stabilize one of the walls of the building under construction that began to bow after the truss collapse, reports the Union Leader. The fire Chief said it is up to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to determine the cause of the accident.
OSHA is investigating the construction accident, reports the Union Leader.
On the Job Accident Statistics
The following information is provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):
- 4,821 workers died on the job in 2014.
- 899 of these fatalities were in the construction industry.
- The “Fatal Four” leading causes of private sector worker deaths are:
- Falls – 359 out of 899 total deaths in construction in 2014 (39.9%)
- Electrocutions – 74 (8.2%)
- Struck by Object – 73 (8.1%)
- Caught-in/between – 39 (4.3%)
- Eliminating the “Fatal Four” would save approximately 545 workers’ lives every year.
