A worker was killed in a trench collapse accident that occurred at a New York City construction site recently. According to reports, the worker suffered serious injuries when he was buried by a collapsing wall in the trench. He was rushed to the hospital, but was declared dead.
The New York Department of Buildings, which has recently been congratulating itself on the improved safety record in the construction industry, has ordered a stop-work notice for the site. According to a representative for the Department of Buildings, the contractor in this particular incident will be cited for a number of violations. Apparently, the contractor was working without a permit. He also failed to shore up the trench, and failed to ensure that the trench was safe for entry, before allowing the worker inside.
Trench collapse accidents are some of the most dangerous accidents that can occur on any construction site. These accidents are very often fatal, because walls can collapse at dizzying speed, burying a worker under tons of soil before any other workers can get to the worker.
Even when rescue efforts are launched, emergency personnel may take a long time to get to the buried worker, and extricate him. Rescue work must be conducted very cautiously, because there is always the danger of another collapse during the rescue. That is why these accidents often end with fatalities. Death is usually due to asphyxiation.
Shoring of trench walls is one of the most effective ways to guard against trench collapse incidents. Employers must ensure that the trench is completely safe before a worker is allowed into the trench.
The New York construction accident attorneys at Godosky and Gentile are dedicated to the representation of construction workers who have been injured in trench collapses and other accidents across New York.