Several construction companies in California and around the country have asked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to conduct safety training in the wake of an accident in North Carolina that claimed the lives of three workers. The three men died when the scaffolding they were relying on to provide support collapsed beneath them. The deadly workplace accident is being investigated by local law enforcement and OSHA. All work on the residential project where the accident occurred has been halted pending the results of the investigation.
Workers fell 70 feet
The construction site accident took place at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Jan. 2 on East Moreland Street in Charlotte’s Dilworth neighborhood. Responding paramedics pronounced the three workers who fell from the scaffolding dead at the scene. According to initial reports, the workers fell from a height of about 70 feet. Two other workers were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, but their injuries are not considered to be serious.
Scaffolding safety training
Scaffolding safety is an OSHA priority. Safety measures that can protect workers include harnesses that allow them to repel to safety in the event of a collapse. The training being conducted in the aftermath of the Charlotte accident focuses on several important aspect of scaffold safety. They include:
- Fall protection
- Guardrail height
- Crossbracing
- Midrails
- Footing
- Platforms
- Ties and braces
- Capacity
- Inspections
Harsh lessons
Hundreds of construction workers are killed in on-the-job accidents every year, and many of them lose their lives because their employers do not take OSHA regulations seriously enough. It is good news that construction companies are now paying more attention to a safety issue that OSHA has been prioritizing for decades. If the construction companies listened to the safety agency before accidents happen, tragedies like the one that occurred recently in Charlotte would be less frequent.
