At What Height Do Most Workplace Falls Cause Injury?

Falls are the number one cause of construction-related worker injuries, and they are often due to inadequate safety measures. Many fall injuries and even deaths happen from falls of just six feet in height; injuries sustained from higher than six feet tend to be much more serious. One Middletown, Ohio man experienced this firsthand on the night of January 22, when, while performing industrial cleaning work, he toppled into a 20-foot deep concrete pit filled with broken concrete and railroad tracks. The man, employed with the company AK Steel, sustained heavy injuries, including bone fractures.

Firefighters lowered a stokes basket into the pit and recovered the injured man using one of the company’s cranes. He was rushed to a Dayton hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries.

AK Steel has a history of serious workplace accidents, including one in 2013 where molten metal erupted from a furnace and burned an employee, who later died as a result of the burns. In this situation, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated and fined the company $5,700, and OSHA was unable to find any safety violations during the follow-up.

Perhaps the fall was a freak accident, but OSHA will investigate further to determine if AK Steel could have prevented the tragedy. For the latest news regarding Ohio workers’ compensation, follow our law firm on Twitter.

Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers’ Comp Attorneys

Source: http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/contract-worker-reportedly-fell-15-feet-at-ak-stee/njtgy/