Passaic Worker Killed in Monmouth County Construction Accident
A 58-year-old construction worker from Passaic County was killed in an excavator accident in Monmouth County on Monday afternoon. Juan Rivera was run over by an excavator while he was working at a house in Holmdel. The house was being renovated after it suffered extensive damage in a fire last year. Rivera and another worker from Teaneck, Bergen County were involved in the installation of a septic system. The Teaneck worker was in charge of operating an 11 ton hydraulic excavator. According to police, it appears that the operator was backing up the excavator when Rivera walked right behind it. Both men were employed by a Franklin Lakes, Bergen County landscaping company.
It's always unfortunate when hard working construction employees who engage in long hours of intense physical labor are the victims of tragic accidents in their workplace. A worker should be able to report to work at his construction site every morning feeling safe in the knowledge that his work day will go off with out safety issues. Yet, all too often construction workers are at the center of some of the most preventable types of accidents. Workers falling of scaffolding, being buried under a trench collapse, and being run over or colliding with forklifts, trucks and excavators - these are all entirely preventable accidents that can be avoided simply if employers make the effort to have adequate safety measures in place.
Falls from scaffolding can be prevented by installing guardrails and equipping workers with personal fall protection systems and restraints. Being struck by falling objects or debris at a construction site can cause serious head and brain injuries. This can be avoided by having restraints for materials and tools on elevated surfaces, and providing all workers with helmets. Being struck by forklifts, excavators and other large and heavy machinery can be avoided simply if there are adequate safety procedures in place that encourage machinery operators to warn pedestrian workers in the vicinity. Very often, workers aren’t equipped with the skills needed to prevent such needless accidents because they haven't been trained sufficiently. Proving employees with sufficient training is one of OSHA's guidelines for workplace safety
Construction Accident Help
A New Jersey construction accident lawyer can file a worker's compensation claim and can also frequently file third party injury claims against a manufacturer if it is found that malfunctioning equipment or machinery were responsible for the accident.
