Fires, Explosions Among Construction Site Dangers
A recent natural gas explosion and fire in Kansas City killed one person and injured 15 others, serving as another example of how quickly a construction accident can occur. In New York, the World Trade Center construction site alone experienced at least half a dozen accidents in 2012, including two fires, according to the New York Daily News.
Fires and explosions are particular hazards on construction sites, and those injured should be compensated. New York and New Jersey construction workers who have suffered injuries in fires, explosions or other workplace accidents can seek help from the experienced New York and New Jersey construction accident attorneys at Ginarte O’Dwyer Gonzalez Gallardo & Winograd, L.L.P.
According to the Associated Press, the Kansas City blast occurred after construction workers hit a natural gas line. For a mile around, people felt the effects of the blast, which shattered glass in nearby buildings and caused the fire to blaze long afterwards.
The construction zone had been in place for seven years and, although this was the most tragic, it was not the first accident on the site. In 2006, a restaurant server had to be treated after being struck by a rock during excavation.
Accidents at construction sites are often avoidable if those present follow the guidelines of the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Construction employers who endanger their employees by not following the guidelines can be held liable.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that fatal construction injuries decreased by 42 percent between 2006 and 2011. Still, there were 721 construction-related fatalities in 2011, representing nearly 16 percent of all workplace fatalities in the United States.
Explosions and fires are merely two types of hazards that construction workers face as a result of negligence. Our workplace injury lawyers have won settlements and awards totaling millions of dollars for people who have been hurt on construction sites and elsewhere.
