Workplace accidents can have devastating consequences, and many people are killed on the job every year. For those who have lost a loved one, life can grind to a halt while they try to come to terms with their grief. The loss of a family member in a construction workers’ accident can also leave their relatives in a difficult financial situation. Federal officials have launched an investigation after a contractor was killed in Illinois recently.
The 38-year-old man was welding at a site in Hartford, Illinois. He was 50 feet above the ground on a tank at an oil refinery, when he fell. According to the coroner, the man died from severe head and chest injuries at the scene of the accident. The results of a toxicology screen are still pending. Once the report has been issued, the official cause of death will be released.
The worker was employed by a company based in Oklahoma who supplies outside contractors to large energy companies for maintenance tasks. The incident is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and police in Hartford. The company that employed the man has said that they are also conducting their own investigation into the accident.
No other details on the cause of the accident have yet been released, and it is not known at present whether he was using safety harnesses or tethering at the time of the fall.
When accidents like this occur, it is standard procedure for an investigation to be conducted into the working practices at the site where the tragedy occurred. For the relatives that lose a loved one in a construction workers’ accident, it can be a difficult time both emotionally and financially. A legal professional may be able to help families learn more about what legal remedies are available for their situation.
Source: CNBC, “Contract worker dies in fall at Ill. refinery site,” 07 July 2011
