California construction workers face numerous life-threatening hazards every day. Unfortunately, some employers disregard employee safety and allow hazardous environments to persist in which workplace injuries are not at all uncommon. Many lives are lost in fall accidents due to a lack of personal protective equipment. Investigators will determine whether that was the case when a recent fall caused a fatal work injury at a Los Angeles construction site.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department reported that firefighters were called to a Bel-Air construction site on a recent Friday afternoon. Reportedly, a 27-year-old worker was in the basket of a lift truck that was lowering him down a 50-foot shaft of a sump well with an estimated diameter of 4 feet. For reasons yet to be determined, the worker tumbled out of the basket and fell down the shaft, landing in water of which the depth was unknown.
First responders said they could see the man lying face down in the water, and he appeared to be unresponsive. Rescue workers who were experienced in launching rescue operations in confined spaces managed to get to the injured worker, and upon inspection, they determined that he had succumbed to his injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No mention was made of any fall harness or other protection used to keep this worker safe in the bucket.
When a fatal work injury claims the life of a loved one, the surviving family members will likely have to face numerous financial challenges. Along with the high costs of end-of-life arrangements, covering day-to-day living expenses could be difficult without the income of the deceased loved one. Fortunately, death benefits claims may be filed with the California workers’ compensation insurance program that typically cover expenses and lost income in the form of wage-replacement packages. Such a package will generally be provided for a particular period after a tragedy, and it is usually based on the average wage of the worker who was killed.
Source: ktla.com, “Worker Dies After Falling Some 50 Feet Into Well at Bel-Air Construction Site: LAFD“, Melissa Pamer, Rick Chambers, Oct. 21, 2016