We have discussed the idea that many different projects, crews and tasks can concurrently be running at a construction site. When two different crews are working in the same area, the proximity of the work may create the risk of serious injury for some workers. Different crews from the same company may share a site. However, at many construction sites, an array of contractors and subcontractors may be involved in the project.
The Vallejo Times-Herald reports that a man claiming to be an employee of the U.S. Forest Service (which is overseeing a construction site on Mare Island) says that he grew concerned Friday after seeing surveyors and heavy equipment working in close proximity to each other–the man says that he feared that the proximity of the two teams looked dangerous.
The forest service employee walked past an area of the construction site during a break and noted that massive machinery was driving around a two worker survey crew. The heavy equipment and surveying crew were sharing the same area of a site–it is not clear from the media of the surveying team and the grading crew work for the same employer.
Authorities say that a construction crew was working on a grading project, preparing the land for the construction of three news homes. The operator of a large earth mover reportedly made a turn at the construction site. A lieutenant with Vallejo Police says that the operator of the Caterpillar scraper did not see that the man holding the marker stick from the survey crew. Authorities say that the scraper struck the 48-year-old Newark, California man.
The operator of the big Cat saw someone on the ground after making the turn and jumped out of the rig to check on the person, according to Vallejo Police. Emergency responders were called in shortly before 1:00 Friday afternoon. However, the man from the surveying team did not survive the construction site accident.
The California Division of Occupational safety and Health was notified of the fatal worksite accident.
Source: Vallejo Times-Herald, “Construction worker killed by earth mover in Vallejo,” Rachel Raskin-Zrihen, Sept. 20, 2013
