Whether you work at a construction site in Poway or elsewhere in San Diego County, it is important to know about construction accident risks and ways to mitigate hazards. In particular, scaffolding collapses can result in serious and deadly fall-related injuries. According to a recent article in U.S. News & World Report, a scaffolding collapse that occurred at a building site in San Diego resulted in injuries to four construction workers. Of those, three construction workers were listed as being seriously injured. At least one of the workers is said to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

How did the scaffolding collapse occur? According to fire officials, the construction workers were “hanging drywall in an unfinished apartment building near Petco Park Wednesday morning when the scaffolding collapsed and they tumbled 16 feet to the ground.” Officials are still investigation the accident. What else do you need to know about scaffolding collapses and construction accident injuries?

Scaffolding Collapse Accidents Happen More Often Than You Might Think

While many construction site employers do take steps to prevent scaffolding collapse injuries, these accidents happen more often than you might think. According to a fact sheet from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), more than 50 construction workers sustain fatal injuries each year as a result of scaffolding collapses. This information is particularly devastating given that many construction workers are not properly equipped to safely use scaffolding at construction sites. In other words, a large percentage of scaffolding accidents are preventable.

A report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that approximately 25% of all construction workers injured in scaffolding collapses have not been trained in scaffolding safety. In addition, almost 80% of scaffolds from which a construction worker sustained serious fall-related injuries did not have proper guardrails.

By providing proper training to employees when it comes to scaffolding safety, and ensuring that all scaffolds are equipped with appropriate guardrails and other safeguards, the BLS predicts that approximately 4,500 injury accidents could be avoided each year.

The “Fatal Four” in Construction Accidents

Falls are among the most common of all construction accidents. According to EHS Today, the “fatal four” account for nearly 60% of all construction fatalities. In addition to falls, the other “fatal four” include being caught between objects, electrocutions, and being struck by an object. About 36% of those deadly accidents were falls.

Speak with a Poway Construction Accident Lawyer

Construction accidents can be prevented when employers take proper precautions. To learn more about filing a claim, you should speak with a Poway construction accident attorney as soon as possible. Contact the Walton Law Firm to learn more about the services we provide to clients in San Diego County.

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(image courtesy of Zachary Shakked)

According to a recent article in U.S. News & World Report, a San Diego County construction worker from Escondido suffered fatal injuries following the collapse of a concrete wall. The accident also resulted in nonfatal injuries to another construction worker on the scene. Construction accidents often are preventable, and it is important to understand steps to take to keep workers safe.

Investigating Wall Collapses and Preventable Construction Accidents

As the article clarifies, the construction accident occurred while construction workers were digging a trench at an auto dealership in San Diego County. During the trench digging for a new wall, a concrete wall collapsed and crushed the 51-year-old construction worker. Firefighters and emergency responders arrived at the scene, but it took about 90 minutes to clear the cinderblock rubble from the victim, and he was pronounced dead by the time the responders were able to reach him. As we noted above, another worker at the scene sustained more minor injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

A report from NBC San Diego also covered the story of the deadly wall collapse, noting that the accident occurred just before 12:20 p.m. on a Monday afternoon. The construction workers had been on the scene to help construct a new car dealership in El Cajon, and they were “digging footing for a masonry wall adjacent to an existing masonry wall” when the collapse occurred. The construction workers had been digging a trench alongside residences when the existing six-foot concrete wall collapsed. The collapsing wall is estimated to have weighed anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 pounds.

The report indicates that the 51-year-old victim, an Escondido resident named Fernando Martinez, had been taking his lunch break when the accident happened. Cal/Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating the accident, which is likely to take around three to four months. Cal/OSHA will be seeking to determine whether the worksite violated safety and health regulations in the state.

Learning More About Wall Collapses and Trench Digging Safety

How dangerous is trench digging, and how often do wall collapses occur on construction sites? According to a fact sheet from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2000 and 2006, 271 workers across the country sustained fatal injuries from trenching or excavation work. On average, there are around 54 fatalities in this particular area of construction work each year, and nearly 70% of those accidents occur in smaller companies with fewer than 50 construction workers.

What steps can be taken to prevent fatal wall collapses and cave-ins? During the process of construction work, the CDC recommends the following:

• Have a competent person inspect excavation areas everyday before work starts, during shifts, and after rain;
• Ensure that vehicles are kept at a safe distance from the excavation site;
• Position ladders so that they are within 25 feet from workers in trenches;
• Remove workers from a trench anytime there is any indication that a condition could cause a cave-in (such as water accumulation);
• Monitor all trenching accident hazards, such as fall-related risks, rigging hazards, and the presence of any combustible gases; and
• Create and enforce procedures to prevent employees from working in an unprotected trench, even for a very brief period.

Contact a San Diego County Construction Accident Lawyer

Construction accidents can be devastating, and many of them are preventable. If you or someone you love sustained injuries in a worksite accident, an experienced San Diego construction accident lawyer can assist you. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about filing a claim for compensation.

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(image courtesy of Matthew Hamilton)

Details of the Mendocino Bypass Collapse

How did this accident happen? Caltrans has been working on a freeway bypass in Mendocino County. It’s intended to be a nearly 6-mile overpass, but it has encountered a number of problems along the way. Most notable, it “has been beset by lengthy delays and cost overruns.” The bypass is projected to cost around $210 million, but it has only reached approximate 50 percent completion. It’s also two years behind schedule.

According to officials, when the construction workers began to pour concrete for the project, “a 150-foot temporary steel and wooden structure known as falsework suddenly collapsed.” The collapse took place in an area only accessible to construction workers.

In addition to the serious accident dangers posed by the bypass project, California residents have contested its construction due to environmental concerns. To be sure, both opponents of the project have filed lawsuits in hopes of preventing unnecessary damage to the environment. Such opposition has been a notable contributing factor to the construction project’s delay. Authorities report that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will be looking into the bypass collapse.

Serious and Fatal Workplace Accidents

Construction accidents are among the most frequent and deadly workplace accidents in America. But how often do they happen? And what steps can construction workers take to prevent serious and fatal accidents?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2013, more than 4,600 employees sustained fatal injuries at work. In connection with a news release that reported the high number of deadly workplace accidents, the BLS released some of the following information about fatal workplace incidents:

• About 15 percent of all workplace deaths involve contractors. In many cases, these contractors are employed by the construction industry.
• Fatalities in the construction industry have risen in recent years. Between 2011 and 2012, construction fatalities rose by nearly 10 percent (to a total of 806 deaths in 2012).

Employers can help to prevent deadly construction site accidents by taking the proper safety precautions. In particular, employers must take steps to reduce the following types of accidents:

• Falls, which lead to more than one-third of all construction accident deaths;
• Being struck by an object, which results in about 10 percent of construction fatalities;
• Electrocution, which leads to almost 10 percent of all deadly construction accidents; and
• Being caught in or between a structure or operating device, which accounts for approximately 2 percent of deaths that occur in the construction industry.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident or in another workplace accident, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. A San Diego construction accident attorney at the Walton Law Firm can discuss your options with you today.

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