Everyday can bring surprises. However, at construction sites, surprises can turn out to be deadly. Unfortunately, this was the case in a recent workplace accident that occurred outside of California that will, more than likely, result in an OSHA investigation and possibly lead to the need for an employer defense strategy.
The incident, which took place in the early morning hours of April 11, occurred at a private construction site being operated by Gehring Construction & Ready Mix Co. An employee of the company was attempting to help free a company cement truck that was stuck. The 26-year-old construction worker was operating a payloader, which he was using in an attempt to pull the stuck cement truck free. Somehow, the chain connecting the payloader to the cement truck ended up snapping and striking the man.
The worker was pronounced dead by emergency medical personnel at the scene of the accident. The authorities have not yet determined what may have caused the fatal accident. In addition, there have not yet been any reports of possible work safety violations at the construction site.
However, it is quite likely that there will be an OSHA investigation, as is the case with most fatal workplace accidents in California. This could mean that the employer will want to start thinking about an employer’s defense strategy to respond to possible citations that can cause significant financial burdens for business. Often, employers will employ defense strategies when the fault for workplace accidents falls not on their shoulders but on the shoulders of the employees themselves.
Source: journalstar.com, “Columbus man dies in construction accident“, April 11, 2015
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