Not far from New York City, a construction worker was killed in a construction accident this past weekend when he was pinned between a piece of equipment and a building.
The Sunday afternoon accident in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was about 60 miles from Manhattan.
The worker was operating an excavator on a hill next to a house when he became pinned between the house and machinery.
A fire department spokesperson told a media outlet that when first responders arrived, they found the construction worker trapped, with no pulse. The man was also not breathing, the spokesperson said.
Rescue workers used heavy lifting air bags to stabilize the vehicle, which was apparently tilting, and then to lift it away from the building before they could safely begin CPR on the worker. The spokesperson said the rescuers followed that procedure so that none of the rescuers would be injured as they tried to help the man.
“We lifted the machine away from the structure and we were able to remove the victim and begin CPR immediately,” he said.
Unfortunately, despite their efforts, they were unable to revive the worker.
“No one is sure what happened,” the spokesman said of the fatal accident.
Was the worker properly trained on the equipment he was operating? Was the equipment functioning properly? Were the dangers of the worksite made clear to the man by supervisors or employers?
All of these questions and more loom over this tragedy.
In some similar cases, the family of the accident victim might be entitled to compensation for loss of wages, medical bills and other damages.
Source: Bridgeport News: “Worker dies in construction accident,” Jan. 9, 2012