For the office dweller, a job that allows a person to work outdoors and that uses one’s body to accomplish a task might sound like a great change from the daily grind. Here in Chicago, some people might even be envious of the construction workers who labor to improve the city’s infrastructure all while enjoying the beautiful summer weather and the freedom of getting out from behind a desk. Though construction work may look like a great change of pace for some people, it presents its own shortcomings, including the risk of serious injury.
A construction worker accident recently left one man with serious injuries to his leg. The worker was employed to participate in a gas pipeline extension project that involved digging into the ground near a roadway. Though exactly how the man suffered his injuries is unknown, his situation does raise questions regarding the safety controls that companies use during their projects that can impact the well-being of their workers and the general public.
People implicitly trust that major construction projects are done appropriately when they enter new buildings, drive on resurfaced roads, or cross retrofitted bridges. However, errors in the construction process or a failure to maintain safety during a building project can present major threats to anyone that gets close to a work in progress.
Construction injuries can range from minor trips and bumps to life-threatening falls and other serious accidents. When the companies that engage in construction projects fail to adequately train their employees or warn passers-by of possible injuries, their negligence can amount to a failed duty of care that should extend to such mentioned parties. Individuals who have been injured at construction sites may have legal rights to recover damages for their injuries from the parties responsible for creating the problematic construction hazards.
Source: Homer News, “Man injured in gas pipeline construction accident,” Michael Armstrong, July 24, 2013
