Hackensack Workers' Compensation Law Blog

Construction site accidents can be a major source of workplace injuries for workers in New Jersey. One particular source of an increasing number of serious injuries and even fatalities is work in trenches and excavations. These underground cuts and caverns can involve removing tons of earth in order to create passageways for the laying of building foundations, creating piping or electrical lines and other important construction tasks. However, due to the sheer weight of earth removed and the subsequent risk of cave-ins, collapses, falls and other accidents, trenches and excavations can be dangerous places for workers.

In 2016, fatalities doubled as a result of on-the-job injuries in trenches and excavations. In the previous five years, two workers were killed every month as a result of trench and excavation accidents, most frequently collapses. As a result of the dangerous environment for construction workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has identified improvement in trench and excavation safety as a priority goal for 2018. As part of its work on the subject, OSHA is acting to build awareness about preventative technologies, safety rules and actions that employers can take to cut down on the threat of severe injuries and fatalities.

Back pain, who needs it? Who wants it? No one does, but back pain is a common problem and has become one of the main causes of lost work days. It doesn't discriminate against certain workers, either. Nurses and paramedics may experience it when awkwardly lifting patients. Industrial workers hurt their backs when lifting heavy loads or by slipping and falling. And office workers often suffer lower back pain after spending long hours sitting in front of a computer most of the day.

Some may think that back pain is caused by a single action such as suddenly stepping or lifting something the wrong way. Actually, back pain typically comes as a result of years of activities such as awkward posture, twisting, repetitive tasks, straining, standing too much and even sitting down too much.

In a recent release, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration director says construction workers can only be protected from severe or fatal workplace injuries when employers establish and follow effective safety protocols. They must then maintain them by providing adequate training. The agency referred to a fatal construction accident last August, blaming employer negligence for the incident. The accident occurred at a construction site of a New Jersey-based company in a neighboring state.

Reportedly, one worker was killed, and another one suffered fractures when a retaining concrete wall collapsed on them. OSHA investigators determined that a wall that was not approved by an engineer was erected to retain soil. Furthermore, they say the employer failed to provide workers with the necessary training to ensure they remained a safe distance from the retaining wall.

Construction workers in New Jersey typically face a host of hazards during any workday, and each task has its own risks. Employers must ensure that workers are aware of any potential dangers and how to prevent injuries. Furthermore, their safety training must include the steps to take in the event of an emergency. When a construction worker recently suffered a life-threatening leg injury, it was a responding police officer who carried out first aid that might have saved the worker's life.

The incident happened on a construction site at which a crew was demolishing a house. Under the circumstances which are yet to be determined, a trackhoe ran over a workers' leg. Police officers were the first to arrive at the scene after receiving an emergency call. Reportedly, an officer assessed the situation and applied a tourniquet to the man's injured leg.