Worker Killed in Edgecombe County Construction Accident Identified

Authorities have released the name of a construction worker killed in an excavation accident on Monday.

About the Fatal Construction Accident

WITN News reports that Edgecombe County Sheriff James Knight has identified the deceased construction worker as 36-year-old Edward Webb. The victim died while installing an overflow pipe at a new pond on Red Barn Lane outside of Rocky Mount.

The accident occurred at approximately 11:45 a.m. The sheriff added that Webb became ensnared under the dirt, and they had to recover his body.

The death is currently being investigated by The North Carolina Department of Labor.

Construction Accident Statistics

The following information was provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):

• On the job accidents resulted in 4,821 deaths in 2014 – roughly 92 deaths every week.
• Of those, 4,386 occurred in the private industry and 899 were linked to construction accidents.
• Among the leading causes of death at construction sites were:
  • Falls
  • Electrocutions
  • Struck by Object
  • Caught-in/between
• The four causes result in roughly 545 worker deaths every year.