Most Common Construction Site Accidents for Workers On The Job in Florida

On Behalf of Rosenthal, Levy, Simon & Sosa | December 14, 2022 | Construction Accidents

Construction workers risk their lives every single time they go on the job, whether they’re laying out new roadways, constructing buildings, or building homes for families. Tragically, construction workers are injured more than most workers in other occupations in the U.S. Some accidents are simply unavoidable. Others, however, occur due to a person or entity’s negligence or carelessness. In Florida, the most common construction accidents for workers on the job are:

Fall, Trip, and Slip Accidents

Falls, trips, and slips accounted for 39 of the 82 deaths in Florida in 2020. A fall can occur due to falling off ladders, scaffolding, or machinery or through windows and roofs. It can lead to head injuries, spinal cord injuries, multiple fractures, and deaths. Trips and slips usually occur on construction sites when a worker trips over uneven ground, loose tools, or wires.

Electrocution Accidents

Workers can get electrocuted when workers are exposed to electrical hazards. In construction sites, the most common electrical hazards are exposed electrical components, damaged tools, overloaded circuits, and improper grounding. Electrocution injuries cause severe burns, brain injuries, and internal organ damage.

Struck By Object Accidents

This common construction accident happens when workers are hit by objects. On construction sites, between all the materials, tools, and machinery, various objects are constantly moving, so struck by object accidents often happen when objects fall, fly, roll, or swing and hit a construction worker. This type of construction accident can cause broken bones, brain injuries, etc.

Caught in or Between Accidents

These accidents occur when objects crush construction workers. The most common caught in or between accidents include cave-ins, strangulation from equipment, caught in machinery, and getting crushed or caught in between moving objects.

Vehicular Accidents

Construction work usually requires various massive and specialized motor vehicles. Bulldozers, dump trucks, cranes, and other gigantic vehicles are often used at various stages of a construction project. These are powerful motor vehicles, and workers that get in their way while they’re operating or moving will suffer severe injuries.

These vehicles go to and from various parts of the construction site. Their movements must be coordinated properly with multiple people and other construction vehicles, all functioning simultaneously and moving to different locations. With everything that’s happening simultaneously, it is not surprising that sometimes accidents will occur. 

Collapses

While construction sites have temporary reinforcement to ensure that temporary structures are safe to work on, or around in, these safety measures sometimes fall short or fail to work. For example, underground shafts or trenches can collapse. Likewise, walls can collapse if they are not properly buttressed, and a seemingly minor mistake during the planning stage can lead to the wall collapsing.

Seek Legal Advice From a Seasoned Port St. Lucie Workers’ Compensation Attorney Now

If you have sustained injuries on the job while working on a construction site, you deserve fair compensation for your losses. Contact Rosenthal, Levy, Simon & Sosa and schedule your free consultation with our Port St. Lucie workers’ compensation attorney by calling 772-878-3880 or reaching us online.