An accident occurred that took the life of a worker on a bridge that spans the Missouri River. The construction accident came about apparently as the result of a worker being struck by a 55 gallon drum. The accident at least halted work on the bridge for one or two days.
The accident was related to work on the Blanchette Bridge that reportedly is going under a rehabilitation project. However, the 51-year old worker was actually on a barge down river from the bridge. Members of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are in the process of investigating what occurred, but the investigation may not be concluded for another six months.
We can’t know precisely why this accident occurred until all investigations are concluded. Yet personal injury attorneys can expedite these investigations and make inquiries on behalf of victims.
Sometimes construction projects are controlled by time constraints. Here, for example, Walsh Construction, the company that had employed the deceased worker, had committed to finishing this project in one year. Apparently the company would earn a number of financial bonuses if they finished up the project ahead of schedule. The Missouri Department of Transportation also verified that the project should be finished two months ahead of the deadline.
Unfortunately, hurrying a project along is not always a prudent plan. Work-related accidents do often occur in the field of construction, and such accidents can come about when worker safety is not a high priority in a particular project. The cost of a human life should outweigh all other considerations when it comes to completion of these projects in any case.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Worker who died in Blanchette River Bridge construction accident lived in Jerseyville,” by Susan Weich, June 11, 2013