Construction work can be a satisfying occupation that allows those so employed to look back at the final product of their labor with a feeling of accomplishment. This work, though, is not without its danger since the possibility of suffering injuries from an accident on the job may be higher than in certain other occupations. Sadly, this type of incident recently claimed the lives of two California workers.
The men were working in the bucket of a crane when the accident occurred. The two workers were part of a construction team contracted to erect a new bridge to replace an existing structure that was described as being several decades old. According to the initial findings, a safety clamp that secured the bucket to support cables broke, sending the men an estimated 80 feet to the ground.
The men were believed to have died at the moment of impact because the surface that they landed on was covered by fallen timbers. The work crew included the father of the younger victim, who was present when the bodies of the two men were recovered. For the time being, OSHA has shut down all further operations requiring the use of any cranes until all necessary safety inspections can be conducted and any indicated repairs made.
According to records maintained by OSHA, the construction company — which is owned by Disney — has had two safety violations in the past 10 years, one of which took place in 2008. Now these two California men who have died as a result of this accident on the job will certainly be greatly missed by their loved ones, and the father who saw his son die may have a particularly difficult time coming to terms with the tragedy. The surviving family will likely be entitled to death benefits through the state-regulated workers’ compensation program. This insurance program provides assistance to those workers who have been injured on the job and are rendered unable to work for a time. Similarly, the fund provides help to the surviving family of workers who are killed on-the-job.
Source: SFGate, “Bay Area men IDd as victims of Yolo County crane accident“, Henry K. Lee, June 3, 2014
