Workplace accidents: New York father crushed to death at work

A New York man — said to have been a wonderful husband, father, son and brother — recently lost his life after suffering fatal on-the-job injuries. Workplace accidents that cause severe injuries or deaths are typically investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Investigators are usually initially focused on the employer’s compliance with federal safety regulations.

Reportedly, this accident occurred on a recent Tuesday morning at a manufacturing plant that makes metal structures. An investigator said several workers were inside a large metal structure that was positioned on the forks of a lift truck. The structure and the workers inside were suspended about 12 inches above ground level when one man stepped out and onto the ground.

This action reportedly caused an imbalance, and the structure slid off the forks of the truck. The 45-year-old worker failed to get out of the way of the falling cabinet-like steel structure, and he got trapped by it. The worker was pinned between this structure and another, suffering blunt force trauma to his chest area. During an autopsy, this injury was recorded as the cause of the worker’s death.

While it is tough to cope emotionally after the unexpected death of a loved one, the surviving family members of this man will also have to face financial challenges that were brought about by his death. The New York workers’ compensation insurance program allows families who have lost loved ones in workplace accidents to pursue compensation by filing death benefits claims. Benefits typically cover the cost of a funeral and burial, along with a portion of lost income.

Source: poststar.com, “Police identify industrial accident victim“, Don Lehman, Oct. 20, 2016