Workplace Injuries | InjuryBoard Cook County

A California laborer was struck in the chest when the shovel of a steam shovel came loose and landed on top of him. At the time of the accident, he was working in a trench on a construction project.The laborer suffered fatal injuries as a result of being hit by the shovel.Under Illinois law, this man's family would be entitiled to worker's compensation benefits for his death. However, those...

Two Indiana construction workers fell 40 feet to the ground when the scaffold they were working on collapsed. The scaffold had a loose pin holding in one of the members of the scaffold and when the workers went to repair the scaffold, their weight caused the scaffold to collapse.One worker survived the fall suffering chest and head injuries; the other workers suffered fatal injuries.Federal...

A contractor was hit with over $69,000 in fines by OSHA after an employee was injured when he plummeted three floors when the floor of the building he was working in collapased. The employee was involved in the demolition of a building at the time of the accident.Violations of OSHA regulations such as this put employees lives at unnecessary risk of harm.When done safely, demolition of buildings...

Two workers were lucky to survive when the trench that they were working in collapsed. The trench was being dug near a highway and did not have a proper retaining wall. Authorities believe that vibrations from the nearby highway triggered the collapse.One of the workers suffered a fractured ankle while trying to escape the trench.Working in an excavation is one of the most hazardous duties in...

A worker on a Maryland construction site was injured when the planking to the scaffolding he was working on broke. He fell from the scaffold 37 feet to the ground.The worker suffered spinal fractures which may result in paralysis.Because scaffolds raise workers so high up in the air, OSHA regulations require that all of the component parts be in safe and proper condition. This requires...

An Idaho construction worker was found dead on a residential construction project. At the time of his death, he was using a nail gun to frame houses.The nail gun apparently accidentally discharged and he was killed by a penetrating injury to his brain stem.On a construction site, not only do the work practices have to be safe, but the equipment must be safe as well. Nail guns are a special...

A Florida worker died when he was struck by a backhoe and knocked into a trench.He suffered head injuries which proved fatal.The equipment on construction sites must be safe for not only the operator but those who can be expected to be working nearby.For moving equipment such as backhoes, this may include equipping the backhoe with a beeping alarm to alert those nearby when the backhoe is in...

At a Florida construction site, a worker was injured when boards fell from a roof truss. The workers were building a warehouse at the time of the accident.After a 200-foot fall, the boards hit a worker on ground level. He suffered head and spine injuries.This accident involves issues of coordination of the work. When work is going on overhead, the areas beneath must be cleared of workers in...

In Florida, a traffic flagger is recovering after he was hit by a truck while working on a road construction project. The truck driver failed to keep clear of the flagger. He hit the flagger with his outside mirror and then drove over the top of his foot.The flagger suffered a mangled foot as a result of being run over.Obviously every driver needs to be careful of workers in construction zones...

One bridge worker was killed and another injured when the crewboat they were in was struck by a barge being pushed by a tugboat. Authortities were investigating whether the tug boat lights were operating properly.The worker who was killed suffered massive abdominal, chest, and head injuries. The injured worker suffered internal injuries and weas hospitalized.Because this accident occurred on...

A contractor was killed at an Archer Daniels MIdland facility in Dectaur. The employee and his crew were working on isulation at the facility.In the accident, the worker was exposed to hot steam which resulted in burns to 87 percent of his body, which resulted his death.When contractors are working in facilties that have active systems, special care has to be made sure that the system is placed...

In Buffalo, a construction worker fell 30 feet down an open air shaft. Guard rails had been put in place at the entry to the air shaft but were missing at the time of the fall.The worker sustained fatal injuries as a result of the fall.Floor openings such as the open air shaft pose a serious risk to workers on a construction site. Becxause of this, OSHA regulations require that openings such...

The foreman of a Texas plumbing crew admitted that he was not familiar with the federal regulations which are intended to protect workers against the hazards of a trench collapse. As a result, he sent his crew into a trench that had been dug three weeks earlier. Intervening rainstorms had weakened the walls of the trench, leading to a collapse which trapped one of his co-workers.The trapped...

A Wisconsin man was killed at a construction site when he fell through an open floor hole at a building that was under construction. The height of the fall was three stories. OSHA investigated the accident and fined the company for nuerous safety violations.As a result of the fall, the man suffered fatal head injuries.OSHA regulations require that when there is a floor opening, it is either...

A Texas demolition contractor has been fined $135,900 by OSHA after materials fell from the 19th floor of a building being demolished and struck two of the company's employees. The general contractor on the job site was also fined.The falling materials resulted in two workers suffering fatal injuries.The fines were issued for safety violations including failing to use an enclosed chute to drop...