The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that falling objects are the third most common cause workplace injuries. Additionally, falling objects accounted for 8.1% of all worker injuries that required hospitalization in 2014.

Falling objects can result in many types of injuries including traumatic brain damage, broken bones, internal organ damage, spinal injuries, and vision or hearing loss. There are some types of objects at construction sites that are more likely to fall than others. Some of these objects include:

  • Concrete that can fall in the event that a floor collapses.
  • Glass panels or windows that can cause serious injuries if they fall.
  • People who fall from great heights at construction accidents can strike other individuals.
  • Tools that are not properly secured or positioned on scaffolding.
  • Tools that are dropped by workers up on ladders.
  • Wooden boards that are used in scaffolding at a construction site.

Workers Are at Risk Nationwide

Each year, falling object accidents occur in a variety of ways. Some of these events include the following:

  • In 2017, two construction workers in Michigan were seriously injured when a heavy piece of equipment fell.
  • In 2017, two workers in Florida were working on a hydraulic lift when the crate being used as a platform fell to the ground. The workers also fell as a result of this accident with one worker being seriously injured and the other killed.
  • In 2017, a crowbar fell from a high rise construction site in New York City and injured a taxi driver.

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Prevention Tips to Reduce the Risk of Serious Injuries to Workers

There are some steps that contractors, subcontractors, employees and construction workers can take to prevent serious injuries. Some of these safety precautions include the following:

  • Create barriers to reduce the number of individuals who are at risk of being struck by falling objects.
  • Inspect machinery and equipment to make sure that it will not fall and seriously injure individuals.
  • Install nets and other objects that will catch a falling object to prevent individuals from being harmed.
  • Make sure that individuals in the proximity of the work site are notified of the risk of falling objects.
  • Secure all tools that are at the risk of falling and harming individuals.
  • Workers at construction sites should wear face shields, goggles, and hard hats to prevent injuries caused by falling tools.

If You’ve Been Injured in a Workplace Accident, Our Lawyers Will Fight to Get You The Compensation You Deserve

Our Massachusetts workers’ compensation attorneys are able to secure the following benefits for injured workers and their families when workers sustain injuries for accidents that occur within the scope of the workers employment: Partial disability benefits, temporary total disability benefits, permanent and total disability benefits, death benefits, scarring and disfigurement benefits.

If you or a loved one is injured by a falling object or falling tool at a construction site, do not hesitate to contact a skilled Boston work injury lawyer today. Our Work Accident lawyers represent the residents of Plymouth County including Brockton, Plymouth, Bridgewater, Marshfield, Hingham, Duxbury, Wareham, Abington, Rockland, Whitman, Hanson, Middleborough; Norfolk County including Quincy, Stoughton, Dedham, Weymouth, Braintree, Avon, Holbrook, Randolph, Canton, Sharon, Brookline, Franklin; Bristol County including New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Mansfield, Easton, Raynham, Norton; Cape Cod, Falmouth, Barnstable and the Greater Boston area including Cambridge, Lynn, Revere, Everett, Lawrence, Dorchester, Roxbury and Somerville.