A construction worker helping to build a storage addition onto Custom Decks by Klassic on Center Road in Brunswick, Ohio fell around 20 feet on Thursday morning about 8:30 and received serious injuries to his head, chest, and wrist when the roof collapsed. He was hospitalized in stable condition. The building collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC note that another worker also received injuries and was treated at the scene of the Brunswick roof collapse.
The construction of the addition had been subcontracted to On Site Management. The two workers were in the process of installing the trusses on the addition when the roof collapse occurred. The trusses formed part of a pre-engineered system and came with manufacturer’s instructions regarding proper installation and assembly.
The manufacturer’s instructions said to put in lateral and gable end supports before installing the trusses. But the chief building inspector for the city of Brunswick indicated that the construction team had not followed these instructions and had not installed supports.
According to the chief inspector, only one temporary brace had been placed in the structure when a project of the size of the addition would have required several temporary braces at that stage of construction to be safe. The workers also had not been using hard hats or safety anchors while they worked, both safety violations. And our building collapse injury attorneys point out that neither the On Site Management contractor or Project Manager was on site at the time of the accident.
OSHA was investigating the Brunswick roof collapse accident. The chief building inspector said that the contractor and project manager could likely expect several safety violation citations. (Source: Melissa Martin, The Post Newspapers, 9/5/13)
Construction workers’ employers are responsible for providing proper training and equipment to ensure their safety. If workers are injured because employers failed to provide adequate training or safety equipment, the employer could be liable for the full financial value of the worker’s injuries and pain from resulting accident. Continue to Part 2 to learn more.