OSHA investigates fatal workplace accident on bridge project

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was recently notified of a fatal incident. It is now investigating the workplace accident that led to the death of a 61-year-old construction worker. This accident did not occur in Massachusetts, but families here have lost loved ones in similar tragedies.

This accident occurred in the early morning hours while work was being carried out along a bridge. The man was in a closed-off section of the structure located near an administration building. He was apparently walking behind a large vehicle that was on-scene to lay down paving material. When the worker noticed the truck was beginning to move backward, he moved to get out of the truck’s path.

For reasons not yet known, the truck moved from its straight path and swerved in the worker’s direction. He was knocked down by the vehicle and crushed. OSHA is now working to determine whether any  safety protocols were violated that led to this tragic accident. There was purportedly a safety spotter on-duty at the time, and this may be a focus of the investigation.

It is unclear if the asphalt truck and driver were a part of the same company that employed the deceased worker. The man’s family will likely receive death benefits from the workers’ compensation program. The report did not detail whether the truck involved was owned by the same company and that may lead to further investigation by OSHA officials. In Massachusetts, if a workplace accident leads to an employee suffering an injury or illness, then the worker is entitled to seek assistance in filing a workers’ compensation claim for available benefits.

Source: silive.com, “OSHA to investigate Verrazano-Narrows Bridge accident that killed construction worker“, John M. Annese, Oct. 29, 2014