When you work in the construction field, you are continually in dangerous positions. From the equipment you use to the locations in which you work, your job is simply more risky than other professions. But this doesn’t mean you should accept the fact that construction accidents will happen. Instead, you can do your part to prevent such accidents while relying on your employer to provide a safe working environment.
For one local man, a preventable accident turned tragic last week.
According to KHOU, the 49-year-old Houston worker was using a cutting torch on barrels when an explosion occurred. He was killed at the scene.
A co-worker said he was working on another area of the job site when he felt the building shake. He went to investigate and found his co-worker lying next to the barrel. According to him, the barrels were marked as containing a cleanser.
When an accident like this occurs, it’s common for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to investigate. OSHA oversees safety regulations for construction sites across the country, and a fatal accident is often a sign of a lack of adherence to these regulations.
Using a cutting torch on a barrel filled with cleansers may, at first blush, seem like a risky move. But perhaps the barrel wasn’t clearly marked. Maybe the worker was told the barrels were empty before he applied the fire. For someone accustomed to using a cutting torch, using it to cut metal in a full barrel just seems unlikely.
An OSHA investigation would focus on whether or not any rules or laws were broken on the job site—violations that may have contributed to the accident and the subsequent death. If so, the employer, worksite safety manager and others could be fined. Fines levied by OSHA often reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, and more.
As a construction or an industrial worker, you have a tough job. It’s physically demanding and comes with many risks. While you do accept some level of risk every time you punch the clock, you should never have to settle for unsafe working conditions. In other words, there are several parties responsible for reducing the risk of an accident.
