Massachusetts worker suffers devastating fatal workplace injury

A 24-year-old worker for a Massachusetts subcontractor was killed while working for the company on an out-of-state project. The tragedy unfolded on a Saturday morning in mid-April. The victim was crushed under the weight of a lead pipe in the fatal workplace injury.

The incident took place at a construction project. Workers were in the process of unloading a 40 foot section of piping that apparently weighed some 1,700 pounds. Though it is not exactly clear why, the pipe fell a distance of about 8 feet from an excavator. It landed on top of the man, who lived in Dorchester.

The workplace injury occurred in upstate New York. Feeney Brothers Corp., the subcontractor, was working on the project in Ballston Spa at the time the incident occurred. Even though other workers got the pipe off the man, he passed away at a hospital that same morning. As is typical in fatal workplace accidents, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating, along with others.

One focus of the official investigations will likely be on whether appropriate safety measures were observed. Further inquiry will surely be made to determine what can be done to prevent a similar fatal workplace injury in the future. The goal is for all worksites to be safe, whether in Massachusetts or anyplace else. Though it may be little consolation to family members that are dealing with the anguish that this type of tragedy typically engenders, the surviving family of the deceased victim is likely entitled to workers’ compensation death benefits to assist with the financial aspects of the young man’s passing.

Source: cbs6albany.com, “Subcontractor killed in construction accident,” April 13, 2013