Construction is dangerous work. Nationally, in 2010, there were nearly 196,000 construction injuries, according to federal statistics. This meant there were about four injuries for every 100 construction workers.
These figures show that the risk of a construction site accident is very real - from construction vehicle accidents to scaffolding collapses to other forms of work injury.
North Carolina construction workers face the same challenges as workers in other states. Construction sites often involve heavy machinery, vehicles coming and going, and the possibility of a platform collapse.
Understandably, then, the recent floor collapse at casino construction site in Cincinnati received national attention.
As workers were pouring concrete on the second floor of a building that will be a casino, the floor buckled - then collapsed entirely.
The workers fell to the first floor below. Fourteen workers were quickly hospitalized. Several others were treated for their injuries at the scene of the accident.
The cause of the collapse is underway investigation. But Ihab Saab, a construction management professor at Northern Kentucky University said that the problem may have arisen due to issues in the connection between the metal decking that was supporting the concrete and the steel beam building structure.
For workers hurt on construction sites, workers' compensation exists to provide financial recovery for workplace injuries. A personal injury claim against a third party, such as a contractor or maker of a defective tool, may also be possible in certain circumstances.
Source: "Several hurt in collapse at Cincinnati casino site," USA Today, 1-27-12
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