The Fatal Four Construction Site Injuries in Louisiana

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has about one safety inspector for every 70,000 workers in Louisiana. So, it’s virtually impossible to effectively police all worksites, especially busy construction sites, and accidents are common. OSHA believes that eliminating the so-called fatal four could reduce construction industry fatalities by almost half.

Trauma injuries like the Fatal Four are particularly serious in Louisiana. Many workers, especially energy production workers, are in remote locations. By the time they get to a hospital, their injuries are much more severe.

OSHA is unwilling or unable to stand up for Louisiana workers. Therefore, if you were hurt on the job, you need a New Orleans workers’ compensation lawyer to stand up for you and obtain the compensation you deserve. This compensation usually includes money for lost wages and medical bills.

Falls

Slip and fall injuries and falls from a height are by far the most common fatal trauma injuries at Louisiana construction sites. Slip and falls are particularly serious if the victim had a pre-existing condition. And, a fall from as little as four stories high could be fatal.

Like the other injuries on this list, falls are also rather easy to prevent. Equipment like safety harnesses is widely available. But some employers do not provide the latest equipment. Others fail to communicate how important it is to use this equipment. Either way, workers are hurt unnecessarily.

Electrocution

These incidents often cause falls as well. Powerful electrical currents throw victims into the air. They often do not land in safe places. Mild electric shocks often cause serious burns. If the current is not strong enough to throw the victim away, the victim is exposed to temperatures which could be several thousand degrees hot. At that temperature, two or three seconds is plenty of time to cause a catastrophic injury.

Sometimes, workers are busy and careless. They do not properly secure loose wires. Other times, employers do not clearly distinguish live wires from dead ones. At a busy construction site, it’s almost impossible even for experienced electricians to tell the difference.

Struck By

Falling objects are a serious hazard at most construction sites. If a worker drops a hammer on his or her toe, the blow might not cause hardly any injury at all. If a worker drops a hammer from ten or fifteen stories up, that object picks up speed as it falls. The results could be tragic for a pedestrian on the ground.

Hardhats often protect the wearers against many injuries. But they are not normally strong enough to protect against injuries like these.

Caught Between

These accidents could involve lifts and other such equipment. Elevators increase worker productivity. Elevators are also very unforgiving, if a worker gets caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Other caught between accidents involve motor vehicles. Construction sites are busy and noisy. Furthermore, many of the drivers who operate large machines have little experience behind the wheel. That combination often means that walking workers get caught between two vehicles, or a vehicle and a fixed object, like a wall.

Reach Out to a Savvy Attorney

Just four construction injuries account for most construction fatalities. For a free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in New Orleans, contact Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe, PLLC. After-hours visits are available.

Resource:

osha.gov/data/commonstats