Inspectors from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have a lot of questions for Centex Builders this month after a 42-year-old man tragically lost his life while working at the construction site for an apartment building.
According to reports, the 42-year-old man, who has yet to be identified, was working at the construction site when he suddenly fell through a hole in the floor. It is not clear at this time whether the hole in the floor was due to a structural failure or if the hole was simply an unfinished portion of the flooring. It's also not clear whether the hole was properly marked nor is there any indication that the man received advanced warning about the potential safety hazard prior to the accident.
What is clear to investigators at this time is that after falling through the hole, the man plummeted 15 feet to the basement below. He was then hit in the head by a steel girder. Reports do not specify if he was wearing any head protection or not.
The man was rushed to Mount Siani Hospital, but despite the doctors' best efforts, the man was sadly pronounced dead mere hours after the fatal accident.
During the investigation, OSHA inspectors will need to determine the exact circumstances of the accident, including whether the company is liable in the death of the 42-year-old man. If the company is found to be negligent, hefty fines and citations could be issued to the general contractor, Centex Builders, for allowing such an accident to occur.
As for the man's surviving family members, they are grieving for their loss and are likely looking into their eligibility to collect death benefits from the man's employer.
Source: New York Injury News, "Construction Worker Killed in Accident at Queens Apartment Building," Jan. 31, 2013
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