Worker falls from scaffold after shock

Barry Doyle

Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 800

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A Texas construction worker had to be air-lifted from the scene of the accident after he was injured at work. He was working on a scaffold when he received a shock from nearby power lines and fell 40 feet to the ground.

The worker suffered severe burns as a result of being shocked.

This accident raises a number of safety issues. It is fairly well-known that high-voltage electricity can arc from the power lines to nearby people or structures. Placement of a scaffold in the vicinty of high-voltage electricity represents a major safety violation, especially since many of the scaffold components are metal.

There are another set of issues that relate to the worker's fall. OSHA regulations require the use of things such as toeboard and railings which would have been intended to keep this worker from falling after he received the shock.

A well-qualified general contractor should have recognized the safety issues that were present on this job site and required measures to be taken to alleviate them.