Construction accidents and related injuries are not uncommon at many Missouri construction sites, highlighting just how potentially dangerous a job in this industry can prove to be. While falls, burns, and cuts and lacerations often result from construction work, many who work in your industry also suffer serious injuries relating to their use of scaffolding, or temporary, elevated platforms that provide access to higher elevations. The attorneys at Hall Ansley recognize just how many construction site injuries occur because of scaffolding, and they have helped many Missouri construction workers who suffered injury on the job pursue appropriate recourse.
Per the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, construction workers, building erectors and dismantlers and anyone else who frequently relies on scaffolding to perform job duties face numerous risks. Furthermore, the risks associated with working on scaffolding are so severe that they are a factor in more than 60 deaths and about 4,500 injuries annually.
Just how do many of these scaffolding-related injuries come about? Because scaffolds are temporary in nature and raised and removed frequently, errors in erection are not uncommon. When workers fail to erect scaffolds properly, the odds of a collapse increase, and collapses can injure those on top of the scaffold as well as those working underneath. Those on top of the scaffold can fall and potentially suffer serious head, neck or brain injuries, and this becomes particularly likely if they are not wearing proper protective head gear.
If you work underneath or on the ground near the scaffolding, you also face injury risks, should it collapse, as you run the risk of suffering crush or impact injuries. You must also exercise considerable care when it comes to where you place scaffolds, as erecting them within close proximity to power lines can increase your risk of electrocution. Find more about work-related accidents on our webpage.