While dealing with heavy machinery and specialized tools, construction work can sometimes carry significant risks to workers. If proper safety conditions are not met or are ignored completely, accidents resulting in serious injury may occur to even the most seasoned construction workers. Recently, a falling pipe at a North Carolina work site resulted in a construction accident that killed a man who’d worked in the construction field for over a decade.
The victim had been an employee of United Mechanical Corp. for thirteen years. United Mechanical specializes in industrial style air conditioning and heating, and was acting as a subcontractor at a 60-acre work site. A video accompanying a news report indicated that the construction site is an international company’s new location for one of its factories that produces aluminum car components.
According to authorities, the removal of a cap from a casting resulted in the release and fall of a pipe. The pipe struck the worker in the head, which ultimately led to his death. In the past, United Mechanical has been cited for violating safety standards, although the violations occurred at different work sites.
Often, injuries that occur as a result of a construction accident are due to unsafe working conditions. In this instance, a North Carolina construction worker lost his life due to a construction accident. Injuries that occur while on the job may entitle a worker to legal and financial recourse under workers’ compensation claims. Should an employee lose his or her life on the job, the family of the deceased may likewise be eligible to pursue a workers’ compensation claim on behalf of the victim.
Source: wbtv.com, Worker killed at Cleveland Co. industrial site, No author, Jan. 31, 2014