Construction sites by their very nature include hazards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires Louisiana employers, among other agencies, to ensure that those hazards are either accounted for through the use of proper safety measures and equipment or eliminated, if possible. Without these protections, construction site accidents can occur that cause injuries to workers that vary from minor to fatal.
For example, OSHA recently completed an investigation into the death of a man in a different state who was operating a front end loader. He was towing a concrete truck out of the sand with a chain and a tow rope. The chain broke, and part of the tow rope connection flew through the front end loader’s window. It struck the man in the head and killed him.
Every worker expects to go home after work, and it is up to employers to do what they can to ensure that happens. In the aftermath of the OSHA investigation into this Nebraska incident, the area director where the man died on-the-job commented on the fact that the victim’s family is paying the ultimate price for what should have been a preventable death. These types of incidents affect the lives of not only the employees, but their families as well.
The Louisiana workers’ compensation system cannot bring a loved one back to a family, but it may be able to help with the financial losses incurred as a result of a worker’s death. Surviving family members may be able to receive assistance with the burial, along with a compensation package for the loss of the victim’s income. For those who survive construction site accidents, benefits may be available as well.
Source: ohsonline.com, “OSHA Cites Gehring Construction in Death of Heavy Equipment Operator“, June 20, 2015