Construction Industry Work and the “Fatal Four”

Many industries are frequently cited at the top of “dangerous” and “hazardous” lists for jobs in America. Routinely, construction work ranks as some of the most dangerous work in Maryland and across the country. In particular, there are a few specific types of hazards that put many construction workers at risk of fatal injuries while they are working in different types of jobs on various construction sites. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), these are commonly known as the “fatal four.”

What should you know about the fatal four, and what steps can you take if your loved one was killed while working on a construction site in Maryland? Our Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers can provide you with more information.

Learning More About Construction’s “Fatal Four”

The notion of the “fatal four” has been in existence for quite some time, but OSHA recently updated information about these four common fatal injury risks on construction sites. Annually, according to OSHA, about 20 percent of all fatal occupational injuries occur in the construction industry, which amounts to more than 1,000 worker deaths every year. The four most hazardous types of injuries, or the “fatal four,” include the following:

• Falls, including both falls from heights and same-level falls;
• Electrocutions and electrical injuries;
• Struck-by accidents, which commonly involve heavy machinery; and
• Caught-in or caught-between injuries, which can involve above-ground uses of heavy machinery or trenching and excavation cave-ins below ground.

While less common than the above, there are also a number of other causes for fatal accidents and injuries on construction sites in Maryland.

Seeking Compensation After a Fatal Four Death in Construction

The Maryland workers’ compensation system allows certain dependents of a deceased worker, including anyone killed in a construction accident, to seek workers’ compensation death benefits. In order to be eligible for death benefits, the applicant must be able to show that the worker’s death arose out of and occurred in the course of employment, under Maryland law.

Workers’ compensation death benefits primarily focus on wage compensation to surviving dependents. Those benefits are usually paid at the rate of two-thirds of the deceased worker’s average weekly wage.

Contact a Maryland Construction Injury Attorney for Assistance Seeking Workers’ Compensation Benefits After a Fatal Accident

If your spouse, parent, or another close family member was killed in a construction accident  regardless of whether the cause was among the “fatal four” discussed above  it is important to seek workers’ compensation benefits with assistance from a Maryland construction worker injury lawyer. These cases are devastating, and we know how difficult it can be to think about a claim when you are grieving the loss of a loved one. At the same time, we know how important it is to receive benefits, especially when you relied on your loved one for support. One of the experienced Maryland construction worker injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can talk to you to learn more about your family member’s devastating fatal construction injury and to provide you with more information about seeking death benefits through the Maryland workers’ compensation system. Contact us for assistance with your case today.

Source:

oshaoutreachcourses.com/blog/fatal-four-osha/