Illinois contract worker injured on the job
On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Industrial Workers’ Accidents on Wednesday, April 20, 2016.
An accident at an electrical work site cut off power to over 2,000 Illinois customers, but the hour individuals spent without electricity pales in comparison to what happened to one worker. The worker who was injured on the job suffered a terrifying fall from an elevated piece of machinery. The contract worker is currently investigating what events led up to the accident, citing a lack of commitment to worker safety.
Electrical and contract employees were performing work on electricity poles when the accident happened. The injured contract worker was in the bucket of a cherry picker when a nearby crane lifted a metal utility pole into the air. The crane operator attempted to position the metal pole onto its base, but part of the pole fell out of the machine’s grasp and hit a live line. From there, it struck another piece of equipment that caused the bucket of the cherry picker to tip.
Two utility poles snapped, and the worker plummeted 30 feet before he struck the ground. Paramedics responded to the scene, took him by ambulance to an area hospital and his current condition has not been made clear. As the contract company moves forward with its investigation it reiterated that it considers worker safety to be one of its top priorities.
Even in cases in which employers have taken necessary safety precautions, some accidents are just that — accidents. This does not necessarily make being injured on the job any easier or less devastating. When Illinois workers are injured while on the job, they can seek workers’ compensation benefits in order to address their financial concerns, including necessary medical care and daily expenses. When injured workers have access to these benefits, they can typically focus on their own recovery rather than returning to work before their bodies have healed.
Source: wgntv.com, “Man injured in electrical work accident“, Dana Rebik, April 14, 2016
