Understanding Work Injuries Impacting Construction Laborers and Helpers
Large-scale construction jobs in Maryland require many different types of construction workers to get the job done. There are construction project managers, general contractors, foremen, surveyors, architects and engineers, roofers, painters, carpenters, crane operators, masons, ironworkers, plumbers, electricians, pipefitters, and general construction laborers and helpers. Whenever a person is completing tasks on a construction site, there are certain injury risks that they should be aware of, including injuries caused by slips and falls, falls from heights, and struck-by injuries from falling loads and heavy machinery on the site. Yet construction laborers and helpers take on some of the most dangerous job duties on construction sites and frequently sustain serious and fatal injuries.
Our Maryland construction worker injury lawyers can tell you more about the roles that construction laborers and helpers perform, how injuries often happen, and how to seek workers’ compensation benefits in the event of an injury.
Common Duties of Construction Laborers and Helpers
Construction laborers and helpers are often tasked with assisting specific trades workers on various types of tasks that must occur on construction sites. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), construction workers often perform many of the following tasks on construction job sites:
- Cleaning and prepping construction sites for building by removing any existing debris or hazards;
- Loading and unloading building materials for the construction project;
- Building bracing, scaffolding, and other temporary structures necessary for construction work to be completed, and then taking apart those temporary structures once they are no longer needed;
- Digging trenches and performing other dangerous excavation duties;
- Operating power tools that can result in serious injuries, such as drills, saws, and jackhammers; and
- Providing as-needed assistance to various trades workers on construction sites, such as roofers or electricians.
Injuries to Construction Laborers and Helpers
Given that construction laborers and helpers perform such a wide variety of tasks on construction sites, they are often subjected to hazards that can result in the following kinds of workplace injuries:
- Falls from heights, often from many stories above ground;
- Slips and falls, or same-level falls;
- Struck-by injuries caused by falling materials or related backover injuries involving machinery and vehicles on the construction site;
- Electrical injuries;
- Suffocation injuries in trench collapses;
- Severe cuts and lacerations, including traumatic amputations, caused by power saws; and
- Crush injuries caused by heavy machinery and power tool use.
The first step in seeking workers’ compensation benefits is to discuss the details of the injury with an attorney who can help to determine your eligibility for workers’ compensation under Maryland law.
Contact Our Maryland Construction Worker Injury Attorneys
Construction sites can be dangerous places to work, and construction laborers and helpers are often tasked with particularly hazardous duties. If you were injured while working construction, or if a spouse or parent sustained fatal injuries in a construction accident, it is important to seek legal help with a workers’ compensation claim. An experienced Maryland construction worker injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can speak with you today to discuss the details of your claim and to help you seek workers’ compensation benefits for your losses. Contact us today for more information and to get started on a workers’ compensation claim.
Source:
bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/construction-laborers-and-helpers.htm
