To support the country’s growing population, construction companies are constantly erecting new buildings, from houses to schools, restaurants to hotels. Although these buildings are necessary, the construction process can be very dangerous. Case in point: a worker recently died after a concrete slab fell on him at a New York construction site.
The 27-year-old man died from his construction injuries on the afternoon of Sept. 23 after he became trapped and crushed by a large slab weighing hundreds of pounds. The incident allegedly occurred when a worker looking to secure the foundation of an adjacent building loosened a piece of the slab and it came crashing down on him. Another worker was nearby but was able to quickly get out of the way and avoid being smashed.
The man and a crew of more than 100 workers were in Manhattan building a hotel – complete with 22 stories and 240-rooms – when the construction accident occurred. It is believed that nearby digging decreased the stability of the building’s foundation. Construction has been halted at the moment, with no set date as to when work will resume.
The work site will likely be shut down until the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fully investigates the cause of the accident and the man’s subsequent death. In addition, the construction company, Tritel, has accrued more than 200 safety violations in the past eight years. This is a concerning statistic. Employees have the right to work in a safe environment, and the construction company and developer are putting the lives of the construction workers in jeopardy.
Source: New York Times, “Concrete Slab Crushes Construction Worker in Midtown Manhattan,” Marc Santora, Sept. 23, 2014