Construction workers in Colorado face various life-threatening conditions on a daily basis. Falling objects are just some of those hazards that may cause death. A Grand Junction man recently lost his life while working at a construction site not far from Rifle.
The Garfield County coroner was called to a building site on a recent Tuesday. Upon arrival, the coroner’s investigators found a worker trapped under heavy-duty pipes in a trench. It was said that the 30-year-old employee was working in the trench on a pipeline installation. Under unknown circumstances, he unintentionally loosened the board that held the pipes on the edge of the excavation.
The three large pipes were each reported to be 60-feet long and 12 inches in diameter, weighing between 1,200 and 2,000 pounds. The pipes rolled into the trench and trapped the worker underneath. The trench worker did not survive the incident, and his death was declared to have been caused by blunt-force trauma. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was informed, and an investigation into the company’s compliance with safety regulations will likely follow.
The surviving family of this construction worker whose death was caused by falling objects will now be faced with the high costs related to end-of-life arrangements. Moreover, having to cope without the loved one’s income will likely be tough. Fortunately, death benefits claims may be filed with the Colorado workers’ compensation insurance system in pursuing financial assistance. Some families retain the services of an experienced workers’ comp attorney to navigate the claims on their behalves to allow them time to grieve their lost loved ones.
Source: postindependent.com, “Worker dies in pipeline accident“, Oct. 26, 2016