A 29-year-old construction worker was killed in a workplace accident in early September. Bethlehem Police say that the man was working for a construction company that was making improvements to Route 412. Authorities say that the worker was struck by a roughly 2,000 pound concrete barrier. The concrete barrier reportedly fell on the construction worker, causing blunt force trauma injuries.
The construction accident occurred around 3:00 p.m. September 4 outside a business on Auburn Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Officials say that the worker experienced cardiac arrest as a result of the blunt force trauma in the accident.
Emergency responders reportedly performed CPR on the injured man while en route to St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania. Officials say that the worker died from the injuries-he was pronounced dead roughly one hour after the accident occurred.
A spokesman for the State College, Pennsylvania company that had employed the construction worker says that the company opened an internal investigation to find out what went wrong after the fatal construction accident. The company says that it is working with state agencies in the agency’s investigations.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified of the fatal accident. The federal workplace safety agency is launching its own investigation, but the federal probe could take up to six months. The director of the Allentown OSHA office says that, “The purpose of the investigation is to find out what occurred, what could have been done to prevent it and whether any OSHA regulations had been violated,” according to the express-Times.
Sources:
- The Express-Times, “Construction worker hit by concrete barrier in Bethlehem succumbs to injuries, company says – UPDATE,” Sarah M. Wojcik, Sep. 5, 2012
- The Express-Times, “Man injured after concrete median barrier falls on him in Bethlehem – UPDATE,” Sarah M. Wojcik, Sep. 4, 2012