Ohio Construction Accidents Claim Another Life After Excavation Collapse

Ohio Construction Accidents Claim Another Life After Excavation Collapse

Another Ohio contraction accident has taken the life of a man who was working on Sewer Lines Along Interstate 71

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According to news reports a man has died after an unfortunate Ohio construction accident while installing sewer lines. The Mansfield News Journal reported the Ohio man was inside a steel cage while installing sewer lines when dirt collapsed across the cage. The incident occurred on November 17 along Interstate 71, close to the northbound ramp at Ohio 97. [http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/news/local/2014/11/17/man-dies-construction-zone-incident/19173049/, November 2014]

Bellville police Chief Ron Willey said in a statement to the Mansfield News, “They were digging the trench and the gentleman was inside the box and there was a collapse.” The man was a longtime employee of Premier Custom Construction Inc. According to the owner a bounder hit the safety trench box, which trapped him below ground. The man was about 16 to 18 feet under ground when the collapse occurred, according to witnesses.

The company was laying pipe for the Richland County Wastewater Office when this Ohio construction accident occurred. They had been working on the job site for about a week. According to Premier Custom Construction Inc., this was the first serious accident that has occurred in the company’s 30-year history. The steel box that contained Troyer was a safety feature designed to protect employees against trench collapses. However, the box was not strong enough to prevent the collapse caused by the boulder, witnesses told the Mansfield News Journal. According to witness report, when the excavation team removed the dirt surrounding the cage, the bounder had caused the cage to collapse. Troyer was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.

Nationally, just over 800 individuals die from construction accidents each year. In 2013, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 824 people were killed in construction accidents. That same year, 148 of those deaths were in Ohio. The most fatalities occurred due to roadside construction accidents and trips and falls. Contact with equipment was the third-biggest contributor to the death of Ohio workers. [http://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag23.htm, November 2014] [http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/tgs/2013/iiffw39.htm, November 2014]

Other common construction accidents in Ohio include:

  • Electrical or burn injuries
  • Vehicle accidents
  • Slips and falls
  • Excavation accidents or trench cave-ins
  • Equipment accidents
  • Forklift accidents
  • Crane accidents

Data from OSHA and other safety officials indicates that taking proper safety precautions can dramatically cut down on the number of fatalities and injuries that occur in construction and manufacturing. No information has been released on the Richland County accident to determine if the incident could have been avoided. Further investigation will take place over the next several weeks to determine if it was a safety oversight on the part of the company or other workers that led to Troyer’s death.

Wright & Schulte LLC has represented numerous men and women in Ohio work-related accidents. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a construction accident contact one of the firms personal injury attorneys at 1-800-399-0795 or visit www.yourohiolegalhelp.com for more information.

Contact:
Wright & Schulte LLC
865 S. Dixie Dr.
Vandalia, Ohio 45377
1-800-399-0795
www.yourohiolegalhelp.com

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