According to Fox 5 Atlanta, two construction workers are in serious condition after a construction mishap at a worksite in Forsyth County, Georgia.
OSHA Investigating the Incident
One of the construction workers assisted a crane in hoisting wooden trusses to the top of a house. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, the crane came very close to a power line but did not touch it. However, due to the proximity to the electrical line, an arc of electricity flowed through the crane.
The construction worker assisting the crane was electrocuted and set on fire because he was holding on to ropes connected to the crane. According to the responding fire department, the man suffered severe thermal burns.
The second injured worker on the ground was struck by the wooden trusses that fell from the crane after the electric shock.
Both men were taken by helicopter to Grady Memorial in Atlanta to receive treatment. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, the operator of the crane was uninjured.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was on scene to investigate the construction accident. The accident occurred at the Moss Creek subdivision off Drew Campground Road at approximately 9:00 a.m. local time.
On The Job Accident Statistics
The follow information is provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):
- 4,821 workers were killed on the job in 2014.
- 899 of these fatalities were in construction.
- Electrocution claimed the lives of 74 construction workers in 2014. 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.
