So much goes into the erection of a building. Every piece of material is held to another with another piece of material. The safety of a structure depends on the right materials being used in the right way.
Two young workers were injured in a Pennsylvania construction accident earlier this week, possibly because of a dangerous material choice at the site. The difference between a bolt and a nail in the building of a deck meant potential for serious injury and even death for the workers.
The workplace accident victims were ages 18 and 24 and working on the construction of an apartment loft complex set to be finished this spring. Based on this recent incident, however, one would hope that the structure will be built properly and be safe for its future residents.
It is still early since the two workers were injured when a deck collapsed under them. OSHA investigators continue their work of identifying the cause or possibly multiple causes of the accident. An investigation thus far showed that instead of bolts holding the deck together on which the workers were standing, nails were in their place. Who is responsible for that reported mistake is not disclosed. That also might not be the only reason why the collapse wasn’t prevented.
This is just one example of why construction sites are so dangerous. If one piece of the safety puzzle is missing, workers often pay the price for it. Both injured construction workers were expected to have been released from the hospital yesterday.
Source: WPXI, “OSHA inspectors investigate Lawrenceville deck collapse,” Jan. 30, 2013