What Are the Most Common Construction Site Accidents in Florida?

Construction sites can be dangerous places, both for workers, and for the general public. In major construction areas, a construction accident can affect buildings, people, pedestrians, and surrounding homes, causing significant injuries-especially when construction is in urban or populated areas.

But why do construction accidents happen, and what are common harms, risks or dangers, in or around a construction site?

Scaffolding Accidents

Scaffolding can be a serious risk for people on or around the scaffold. As you may have noticed walking down city streets under construction, scaffolds are often constructed over pedestrian walking areas. Additionally, because scaffolds are mobile platforms, workers tend to put items on the scaffolds that the workers are using—think of tools, lumber, or paint cans.

When someone falls off a scaffold, it is not only dangerous to them, but to the people underneath. Even if a worker doesn’t fall, but knocks over an item off the scaffold, that item is now a falling obstacle, which nobody underneath sees or can avoid. From a high enough height, falling objects can become deadly.

Falls

Falls are a leading cause of construction accidents—that includes falls off scaffolds and platforms, but also falls off ladders.

Often, workers will misuse ladders, or overload them. Workers may use ladders as platforms, often for items that are too heavy for the ladder. They may not be provided the proper ladder for the job, from their employer. All of this can lead to catastrophic injury.

Cave-Ins

Cave-ins don’t just happen when there is construction on an underground project or on a tunnel. Even the common above ground building may have many elements that need to be underground, be it plumbing, electrical wiring, parking garages, or other structures.

The ground above needs to be properly supported; when it is not, a cave-in can occur. Cave-ins can be deadly both for workers, as well as for innocent pedestrians surrounding the site; the cave-in can act as a sinkhole, sucking in cars or bystanders who have nothing to do with the actual construction.

Sinkholes are deadly; even if workers survive the immediate crushing injuries, suffocation can quickly occur. Rescues may be slow, as rescuers need to make sure not to do more damage rummaging through the rubble.

Electrocution

Construction projects necessarily involve work around electrical wiring. Loose or exposed wires can electrocute not just workers, but bystanders or pedestrians, who may accidentally touch or step on wiring that is improperly secured, or which is left exposed.

Who is Liable?

Workers who are injured on a construction site may be limited to workers’ compensation damages for recovery, if they are suing their direct employer. However, in some cases, construction workers may be able to sue their employers if the employer was reckless, and acted in disregard for worker safety on a construction site.

Injured in or around a construction site? We can help. Call the Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys at Rosen Injury Law today.

Sources:

fox9.com/news/bodies-of-2-construction-workers-recovered-from-st-paul-trench-collapse

ehs.princeton.edu/workplace-construction/construction-safety/personal-protective-equipment-ppe

flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2018/Chapter440