Debris Chutes and Construction Worker Injuries

Potential injury hazards exist across most construction sites in Maryland. While the risk of getting hurt on a construction job can be reduced by using proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and following safety regulations, accidents and injuries can still happen. One structure that can lead to injuries on construction sites, especially those in which there is demolition or renovation work involved, is the debris chute. Debris chutes are structures that are used to remove debris quickly from roofs and elevated construction areas, but they can also pose severe injury risks. Our Maryland construction worker injury attorneys can explain in more detail.

What is a Debris Chute and Why Are These Structures Dangerous? 

You may have seen a debris chute attached to a roof, or to another elevated area of a construction site. A debris chute is an enclosed, tube-like structure with openings at the top and bottom ends. They are used for workers to deposit debris and refuse from an elevated construction area into a disposal area below. Debris chutes often release material into a dumpster on the ground level, for example.

Debris chutes can be extremely dangerous, however, if they are not constructed property or positioned properly, and if there are no guard rails to protect workers from falling into them.

Common Accidents Involving Construction Debris Chutes 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has specific safety requirements for chutes, which are designed to prevent injuries among construction workers at elevated heights using the chutes, as well as workers who are positioned in places where they could be struck by debris being loaded into the chute. Common types of accidents and injuries involving debris chutes include but are not limited to the following:

• Debris chutes being mispositioned, resulting in workers at the ground level being struck by debris coming down through the chute;
• Debris chutes being improperly constructed, resulted in debris flying out of the sides of the chute at various levels and striking workers; and
• Debris chutes being used without guard rails, resulting in workers falling into the chute and sustaining severe and life-threatening injuries.

Struck-by injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), are among the most commonly reported injuries involving debris chutes. Workers who are injured in debris chute accidents can often be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. In the event of a worker death, surviving family members may become eligible for certain workers’ compensation benefits.

Contact a Maryland Construction Worker Injury Attorney Today for Assistance 

If you were injured while working on a construction site in Maryland, or if your spouse or parent sustained fatal injuries in a construction accident, it is important to seek legal advice about obtaining compensation. Debris chutes are a common injury hazard on construction sites, but there are various ways in which construction workers suffer harm — even when they are following safety recommendations and taking precautions.

Construction work is dangerous, and it is important to understand your eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits and other forms of compensation after a devastating accident. Contact one of the experienced Maryland construction worker injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC to learn more about seeking compensation after a construction accident.

Source:

osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.852