Construction Worker Injured after Building Collapse

The construction business can be lucrative but the work is hard. The majority of workers in this field are on the site, everyday, exerting themselves and sometimes putting their lives at risk as they tackle dangerous jobs. The work is physically demanding and this physical demand can sometimes lead to injury. If a workplace is unsafe even a routine job can become a hazardous compromise to a construction workers safety.

One such construction worker was injured in North Philadelphia when the second story of the house he was working in collapsed. The worker was taken to Temple University Hospital where he was listed in stable condition. The accident happened as the man was demolishing a house on the 3500 block of North 5th Street. No other injuries were reported and there was no update on the workers condition at the time of this report.

In 2006 construction accounted for over 1,000 fatal on the job injuries. This number is higher than any other private industry job. For every work related fatality there are untold injuries that lead to hospitalization or long term pain and discomfort. Many workers may try and work through an injury sustained on the job as to not lose wages or their position on the crew. For this reason the number of injuries sustained during construction work may be significantly higher than the reported numbers reflect.

Construction work made up 97.5% of the nonfatal injuries to men among all major private industries. The risks of the job are many. From a small sprain or strain to broken limbs and amputation, construction work can be dangerous. Two of the major causes of these and other injuries are falls and falling objects. In 2006 there were 583 fatalities that occurred when the victim was struck by an object. In just one years time the number of fatalities in the construction business due to falls from roofs jumped from 160 in 2005 to 184 in 2006, an increase of 15 percent.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration would like to see these numbers fall. Their goal is to reduce the incidence of illness and injury on the job by 20% over a period of five years. They have similar goals concerning fatalities occurring on the job and hope to decrease these numbers by 15% over the same period of time.

It is encouraging that OSHA is striving to better the workplace for all workers. While change may be slow, it seems that some of their work may be paying off as a 1% drop in general industry fatalities was reported. These numbers are encouraging but there are still thousands of injuries occurring every year. If you or someone you love has been injured on the job, please do not hesitate to call Daniel Monahan at (610) 363-3888.