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Scaffolding collapse causes 2 serious construction accidents

Sadly, a story about a pair of construction workers falling at least 30 feet to the ground often involves a fatality. So it with relief that we can report both victims of a scary construction accident from outside of Missouri are expected to survive. However, their injuries were described as serious. Both could be out of work for a long time because of this workplace accident.

Few details of this construction accident were available. The victims were working on the erection of a 27-story skyscraper. Their work required them to stand on scaffolding. One was 40 feet above the ground and the other was 30 feet up.

Somehow, the scaffolding collapsed one recent afternoon. Both workers fell to the ground. They were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The nature of their injuries is not mentioned. Falls from great heights can cause a wide range of trauma, from brain injuries to spinal injury and damage to internal organs.

Despite the collapse of the scaffolding, construction was scheduled to resume just a few days later. Investigators were looking into how this construction accident occurred. Hopefully, no other workers will be at risk of a similar incident before the problem with the scaffolding is discovered.

Without knowing more details of this particular case, scaffolding collapses are often due to negligence on the part of the contractor or other employer. Unfortunately, sometimes the workers are the ones who have to suffer the consequences. Victims often need to turn to workers’ compensation while they recover.

Source: The San Francisco Appeal, “Workers Who Fell From Skyscraper Scaffolding Expected To Recover,” Feb. 21, 2014