Pipe Shard Kills Worker — Employer Defense For OSHA Inquiry?

Life is full of random circumstances and occurrences. Although an employer can attempt to thoroughly prepare for possible accidents, there is always the possibility of an incident occurring at a California workplace. This can result in a worker being injured or even killed. Employer defense strategies can help in reducing any claims exposure or with regard to citations for any safety violations resulting from the fatal incident.

One real estate development company may soon have to consider these issues following a recent fatal accident at a construction site the firm was overseeing. The company, TCFC, had been constructing a roadway on land that it owns. The fatal incident resulted in the death of a 39-year-old construction worker.

The incident occurred when the worker was installing piping in the ground. The man was using a saw when a shard from a pipe struck the worker in the neck. Emergency responders were called to the site around 11:10 a.m. Despite the best efforts from emergency responders, the worker was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident about 10 minutes after the tragic accident occurred.

The Utah division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident. Just like in any fatal workplace accident in California, the authorities will be looking to see if there may have been safety violations present when the accident happened. Citations may be issued if authorities determine that the employer was not following work safety regulations. Employer defense strategies may be used to respond to the investigation, challenge any citations issued, and/or work with governmental authorities to resolve any safety issues for the ongoing benefit of the company’s employment staff.

Source: parkrecord.com, “Construction accident kills worker“, Angelique McNaughton, August 18, 2015