As Florida construction workers know, there are numerous types of mishaps that can occur on a jobsite. Common ones include falls, electrocutions, equipment misuse and power tool injuries. A construction worker in Pennsylvania managed to get himself buried in a ditch for a couple of hours until he could be freed by rescue workers.
The construction accident happened on Aug. 25 in Caln Township, Pennsylvania. The man was working at Coatesville VA Medical Center. He was doing pipe work for an emergency generator project when mounds of dirt started to slide on him, burying him up to his neck. Firefighters were able to free him more than two hours later.
The man was taken to Paoli Memorial Hospital to be treated. He was conscious and did not appear to have any serious injuries. It is not known how the collapse happened. The project had been going on for several works. When completed, the project will increase the hospital’s ability to power itself on generators in the event of a power outage.
In these kind of cases, there will usually be an investigation by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to determine what went wrong. It’s not a common incident to have a bunch of dirt fall into a trench and bury a worker. Was the construction worker at fault or was the construction company liable? Was there a lack of support someplace that caused the dirt to fall? Were procedures being followed properly?
The man was not seriously injured. If anything, he was probably embarrassed by the incident. Does he have the right to file a lawsuit that will compensate him for the accident? If you or a loved one face a similar situation, there are avenues of support to pursue.
Source: Philly.com, “Man rescued in hospital construction accident” No author given, Aug. 25, 2013
