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One Massachusetts Construction Worker is Dead and Another is Injured in Fall Accident From Lift at a Waltham Job Site

By Altman & Altman

In Massachusetts, a construction accident on the AstraZeneca campus in Waltham on Sunday has left one worker, 40, dead and another, age 30, with serious injuries. According to Waltham Police, the work accident occurred at around 11 in the morning while the men were installing aluminum panels to the side of the lab that is under construction.

The two workers plunged to the ground some 25 feet when the hydraulic lift that the two men were on tipped over. While the older man died at the accident site, the younger worker was admitted to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Police, who are investigating the crash, say that the lift, which was on an incline, became unstable. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating the fall accident.

The two construction workers worked for Lymo Construction. An earlier accident at the Lymo site resulted in one worker hurting his knee. The company, however, says that it has an ?excellent? safety record on the project. Lymo was cited three years ago for not having enough fall protection at a construction site in Pembroke.

Fall Accidents
Due to the nature of construction work, workers do risk getting hurt in fall accidents. This is why it is so important that construction companies implement and enforce the proper safety precautions and that workers use the correct protection gear.

Examples of Construction Falls:

Falls from roofs: Examples of this leading cause of death at construction sites include falls through skylights and openings in roofs, as well as falls from communication towers and rooftops.

Falls from cranes: Workers have been known to fall from great heights when a crane falls over. A series of crane collapse accidents in the US have led critics to question whether the proper safety precautions are being taken to prevent crane accidents.

Falls from elevator shafts: A worker doesn?t have to fall from a great height through an elevator shaft in order to sustain serious injuries or die.

Scaffolding falls: A common cause of scaffolding fall accidents is faulty construction.

Falls through Holes in Construction Site Floors: Weak floors or holes in flooring can lead to serious injuries for workers.

1 killed, 1 hurt in accident at job site, Boston.com, October 11, 2008

Man dead, another critical after lift collapse in Waltham, The MetroWest Daily News, October 10, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Lymo Construction

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Full post as published by Boston Injury Lawyer Blog on October 13, 2008 (boomark / email).