While construction occurs throughout the year, residents in Ohio are likely to see construction project increase during the warm months. And, when the economy is doing better, individuals across the nation see more construction overall, whether it is a new house, building, road construction or improvements to current structures. With the wide array of construction sites comes a large number of construction workers. Even though steps are taken to make these workers safe, construction site accidents still occur, causing harm to those involved.
According to recent reports, a trench collapsed at a construction site of a home in Sugarcreek Township. This accident resulted in the death of a 43-year-old worker. This fatal trench accident makes the third fatal collapse in the area since 2016. A trench collapse death is considered a preventable death because if proper safety measures are followed, such an accident wouldn’t occur.
When looking at past data, it was found that from 2011 to 2016 there were 130 deaths due to cave-ins from trenching or excavating. The highest of these numbers occurred in 2015, with 25 deaths occurring that year. A current study also found that those working in a union or with signatory contractors are likely to provide the type of protection, safety equipment and training needed to avoid trench accidents.
The construction industry comes with a wide variety of risks, which is often dependent on the site and the type of work at hand. When a construction site accident occurs, those involved are likely to suffer serious and even fatal injuries. This can result in the worker dealing with the pain and suffering associated with the injury and the financial harm cause by the inability to work. Additionally, if a worker does not survive the accident, loved ones could suffer harm as well. Workers’ compensation can help in this matter. It can help address the losses, such as medical bills and lost wages.