Falling Construction Worker Saved by Plastic Sheeting
When you fall 30 feet, the results can be fatal. Thirty feet is a long way down. And this is why there are so many safeguards in place to prevent construction workers from such falls. One Boston worker is lucky after a 30-foot fall resulted in only a broken arm.
According to ABC News, the man was working on a building when he lost his balance and “fell through the wooden planks of the scaffolding.” He fell about 30 feet. What saved him wasn’t designed to prevent fall injuries, rather to keep heat in and keep dust to a minimum—it was plastic sheeting.
“The plastic was covering the entire side of the building and engulfed him,” said a spokesman for the Boston Fire Department. “We had to slice the plastic away so the medics could treat him.”
The man is fortunate, as workers have died from shorter falls than this. To fall 30 feet and only receive a broken arm is the mark of a lucky day indeed.
But what is troubling about the fall is how it occurred. Though reports don’t indicate it, there is a chance that OSHA will investigate.
Typically, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) opens an investigation into fatal workplace accidents. When the accident doesn’t result in a death, however, investigations are on a case-by-case basis.
The agency is particularly concerned with fall accidents, though, as those remain the deadliest on construction sites. And when there is a problem with scaffolding, there is a risk of a fall.
If the man was able to “fall through the wooden planks” of the scaffold, there may have been a problem with the scaffold construction. If reporters are right in their description of the fall, the injury could have easily been prevented by more closely following safety regulations regarding scaffolding.
Frequently, serious construction accidents are caused by simple mistakes. We may never know in this case whether the workers who put the scaffolding together cut corners or weren’t given the proper tools.
As a construction worker, you deserve to come home safely at the end of your shift. But when that doesn’t happen, you deserve justice. The construction accident lawyers of Ginarte may be able to help. Contact us today to discuss your accident and the legal options available to you. Call (888) GINARTE now.
