Authorities on the scene of a Bucks County silo collapse reported that their initial search and rescue effort turned into a recovery effort. After six hours of searching for a worker trapped by the falling debris, authorities indicated the man was then presumed dead.
The accident happened on Jan. 8 around 4:30 a.m. when a silo owned by a concrete company collapsed, trapping a worker. At 10:30 a.m., authorities presumed the man had been killed. The recovery effort spanned four days, with multiple fire companies and rescue teams aiding in the search that took about 100 man-hours. The worker’s body was eventually discovered on Jan. 12 near an office trailer. Recovery teams sifted through several thousand tons of debris, including concrete and steel.
The silo, owned by Silvi Properties, is located in Bristol Township in the town’s Riverside Industrial Complex. The silo stood in the 7900 block of North Radcliffe Street. Authorities have also not indicated what may have led to the silo’s collapse.
When a worker is killed in an accident while he or she is at work, his or her family may be eligible for certain benefits through the worker’s employer. Employers in Pennsylvania are required by law to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Although most people may understand that coverage may assist with medical bills resulting from an accident, they may not be aware that the insurance also provides certain benefits to the spouse and immediate family members of a worker who is killed. Through workers’ compensation, a family may be able to receive death benefits to pay for funeral and burial expenses. Additionally, workers’ compensation benefits may be available to families to pay a monthly amount designed to replace a percentage of the income the worker would have otherwise received.
Source: NBC Philadelphia, “1 person presumed dead in Bucks County silo collapse”, Alison Burdo, Jan. 8, 2015
Source: The Morning Call, “Body of worker trapped in Bucks County silo collapse found”, Anthony DiMattia, Jan. 12, 2015