Any kind of work for a town, district or city can entail a number of responsibilities and job duties. It isn’t uncommon for California city crew workers to be around heavy machinery or vehicles, which can all be potentially dangerous to work around. Recently in San Francisco, a city worker was fatally injured on the job as he was struck by a garbage truck.
The 52-year-old man was on a work crew with the Human Services Agency. A public works truck had been nearby doing the routine work along a route where illegal dumping needs to be attended to. The truck somehow ran over the crew member.
Police got a call about the incident right around 9 a.m. The medical examiner responded after the man was found to have died at the scene of the fatal work accident. There is currently an investigation into the accident by California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. In addition, the Department of Public Works is also investigating the accident. The driver whose vehicle hit and killed the worker is said to cooperating in the investigation.
Whenever any workplace is the scene of someone being fatally injured on the job, an investigation may pinpoint the exact cause of the accident and help workers learn to avoid any such accidents in the future. In California, there are laws and regulations that protect workers if they do become injured on the job. Work injuries of any sort can lead to extensive medical bills, lost wages and also affect a person’s ability to continue to work in a given industry. Workers’ compensation benefits are designed to protect workers of all sorts and help those who are injured during their time of need. In fatal accidents, the victim’s surviving family is normally entitled to benefits to pay for end of life expenses and a lost income package for any of the decedent’s dependents.
Source: nbcbayarea.com, “San Francisco City Worker Struck, Killed by Garbage Truck in Bayview“, , AUg. 28, 2014