Construction accidents, whether it is collapsed scaffolding, defective equipment or construction explosions, are intrinsically perilous. Companies are responsible for their employees while they are on the clock, which means they need to ensure each construction worker has the necessary protection gear while ensuring that the workplace setting is as safe as possible. Regardless, construction injuries still occur. This is exactly why Colorado has made a memorial dedicated to those highway workers killed in work zones and urges motorists to stay safe on the road.
Located in Denver, the memorial is known as the “Work Zone Memorial.” It is placed just outside the Colorado Department of Transportation headquarters to honor any employees who have been killed while working on the state’s interstates and highways. On Tuesday, April 24, federal highway officials and state troopers took time out to take part in the National Work Zone Awareness Week to advise those behind the wheel to pay more attention while driving.
Makeup should be applied before you leave the house and breakfast should be eaten before you leave for work or after you arrive. State officials say texting and talking should be left for when you have safely stopped. When you allow yourself to become distracted behind the wheel, accidents happen. If more motorists paid closer attention to the road, accidents could sometimes be prevented. When you see orange cones signifying a work zone area, slow down and pay attention to avoid an accident that might result in injury or death.
With over 830 work zones in Colorado alone, eyes need to be on the road especially when you consider the fact that out of 96 construction workers injured last year, 10 of them died. Across the country, 37,000 workers were injured, with 600 workers and motorists killed in work zones. It’s up to drivers to reduce those numbers.
If you are a construction worker injured in a workplace accident, or if you are a loved one that has suffered the loss of a construction worker, it is important to learn of the options available to you. When Colorado construction injuries occur, the injured party is generally entitled to some form of benefits to recover injury-related expenses. A workers’ compensation claim may be available to pay for any lost wages and medical expenses just as it may be able to pay for funeral expenses, if necessary.
Source: KDVR.com, “CDOT: Drive safely as more ‘cone zones’appear,” Jon Bowman, April 24, 2012