Man Falls to Death on Hotel Construction Site
A man is dead following as the result of a construction accident at a Marriott Hotel job site in Harlingen.
About the Hotel Construction Site Accident
According to the Brownsville Herald, 35-year old man from Brownsville died in a construction accident at a Marriott Hotel job site in Harlingen on the morning of Saturday, May 24th.
Juan Carlos Reyes, was pronounced dead at the scene at 109 Bass Pro Drive. Reyes was reported to be on a forklift platform being lifted to the fourth floor. Witnesses stated that he was holding supplies when the platform shifted.
Reports indicate that Reyes fell around 7:35 am and was unresponsive and not breathing when EMS arrived on the scene.
The scene was processed by crime scene technicians and an autopsy was ordered. The death investigation is ongoing.
Construction Accident Statistics
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 870 fatalities occurred in the construction industry in 2012. Second only to transportation and material-moving occupations, this industry is responsible for nearly a quarter of fatal occupational injuries.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the four leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites are, in order:
- Falls
- Struck by object
- Electrocution
- Caught-in/between
These “Fatal Four” were responsible for more than half (54.2%) the construction worker deaths in 2012, and falls were the cause of 279 fatalities, which is over 30% of the total, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Additionally, the number one most frequently violated OSHA standard violated in 2013 was fall protection in construction industries.
