One worker died after being electrocuted, and another worker suffered major injuries during an accident at a California high school on July 17. Emergency responders declared the worker, who was in his 20s, dead on the scene. The other worker was taken to the hospital and was in critical condition on the day of the accident. The two men were standing on a scaffold, helping a booster club to put up a banner, when the incident occurred.
An eyewitness at the scene said that the coworker who had not been electrocuted got badly injured after trying to administer CPR to the other construction worker. According to accounts by the eyewitness and an Orange County Fire Authority spokesperson, the construction worker fell approximately 25 feet to the ground after his body came into contact with an electric wire, and his hand and hip was set on fire. The man was treated for serious burns and injuries from the fall after the accident.
Construction is a dangerous industry to work in because of the number of work-related injuries and fatalities. On average, the construction industry has more than 800 fatalities each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The industry saw 849 fatalities in 2012, an increase from 2010 and 2011, according to the organization.
After workplace accidents, injured people often seek medical attention and inform their immediate supervisors. Workers who have suffered injuries on the jobs have to file claims within a certain period, depending upon the state, to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits that cover their medical costs, rehabilitation or lost wages, according to the United States Department of Labor. A lawyer may be able to help an injured worker file for those benefits in court.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Injuries at a Glance: Construction,” July 18, 2014
United States Department of Labor, “Workers’ Compensation,” 2014
Source: CBS Los Angeles, “Worker Electrocuted, Another Hurt On Football Field Of Mission Viejo High School“, July 17, 2014