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Construction equipment accidents
QUESTION:Can you tell me some types of construction equipment accident?
ANSWER: Construction equipment accidents are just one of the many dangers construction workers face on a daily basis. Victims of crane accidents, backhoe accidents, bulldozer accidents, front-end loader accidents, and skid steer loader accidents often suffer debilitating injuries that prevent them from returning to work.
Crane Accidents
The most common types of crane accidents involve the crane coming into contact with electrical power lines. When this happens, the operator and anyone standing nearby are at risk of severe injury or death from electrocution. Rigging crane accidents occur when the material connected to the load block or headache ball fall on unsuspecting workers or bystanders. Structural failure and tipping crane accidents are the result of heavy loads that surpass the cranes structural limitations and stability ratings, causing the crane to collapse or tip over onto the operator or other workers.
Crane accidents do not happen with much frequency, but when they do occur the results can be devastating. Operators are not the only people at risk of injury or death - other workers and individuals near the site are in just as much danger if a crane drops its load or tips over.
Backhoe Accidents
Backhoes consist of a digging bucket at the end of an arm (also called stick or dipper) and are used for excavating and moving material such as rocks or dirt. The most common forms of backhoe accidents involve people being struck by the digging bucket or by the machine itself. In addition, backhoe accidents can be caused by rollovers, electrocutions, and sliding into ditches or trenches.
Manufacturers of construction equipment have an obligation to design equipment to protect against foreseeable accidents if it is technologically and economically feasible to do so. If such a design is not feasible, they have an obligation to install guards on the machinery if it can be done economically and mechanically. If safe design or guards cannot be done, adequate warnings should be given of the hazard. Manufacturers can be found liable in backhoe accidents that occur as a result of defective equipment. Construction site supervisors also often have a responsibility to provide a safe work environment, proper equipment maintenance, and personal protective equipment.
Bulldozer Accidents
Bulldozers are used on construction sites to remove or spread dirt and rock, dig out trees, and level the ground to the desired level. Bulldozer accidents are extremely dangerous and unforgiving because of the size and weight of the machine. Injuries that result from bulldozer accidents include, but are not limited to, head injury, blunt force trauma, crush injury, and broken bones.
Bulldozer accidents can include rollovers, runovers, and falls. Limited visibility makes it easy for operators to come too close to a ledge or ditch and slide down the edge. When this happens, the bulldozer might roll, putting the operator in danger of becoming pinned or crushed under the massive weight of the machine. Manufacturers should install rollover protective structures (ROPS) as standard equipment on all of these machines. Adequate warnings of foreseeable hazards should be given if guards to protect against these hazards are not feasible.
Construction companies are required to inspect equipment and provide safety training for all employees who operate heavy machinery. In addition, manufacturers must design equipment that is safe and complete with the necessary safety warnings and precautions.
People who work on construction sites find themselves facing dangerous, life-threatening conditions every day. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction accidents were the leading cause of workplace fatality in 2002, with 1,121 deaths reported. That is a fatality rate of 12.2 per 100,000 employed! One of the many dangers workers face is construction equipment accidents, including crane accidents, bulldozer accidents, backhoe accidents, front-end loader accidents, and skid steer loader accidents. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured, construction equipment accident lawyer John Gehlhausen can help you get the compensation to which you are entitled.
Skid Steer Loader Accidents
Skid steer loaders are multipurpose machines that can handle a variety of tasks on construction sites. Despite their small size, skid steer loaders can be just as dangerous as their large tractor counterparts. Operators can be crushed by the lift arm, pinned in a rollover accident, or run over when they exit the machine.
Front-End Loader Accidents
Front-end loader accidents can be the result of rollovers or loads falling on operators. Manufacturers should see that their dealers do not sell front-end loaders for any kind of motorized equipment without falling object protection in the form of a canopy first being installed on the equipment.
People who work on construction sites find themselves facing dangerous, life-threatening conditions every day. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction accidents were the leading cause of workplace fatality in 2002, with 1,121 deaths reported. That is a fatality rate of 12.2 per 100,000 employed! One of the many dangers workers face is construction equipment accidents, including crane accidents, bulldozer accidents, backhoe accidents, front-end loader accidents, and skid steer loader accidents.
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