A snapped strap on a crane transformed a construction site in Morris County into a fatal accident scene. A television news station filmed images of rescue workers swarming the work site where workers were building a new headquarters for the Whippany Fire Company.
A representative from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said that an inspector would be sent to evaluate the accident. Preliminary reports from witnesses indicate that one of the three straps securing a large generator to a crane failed when the work crew attempted to move it. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has also initiated an investigation.
The people responding to the accident included a local contractor who offered his insights to the media. He thought the yellow straps looked new, but the generator was very heavy. He also suggested that the wind could have contributed to the equipment failure. He said he regularly oversaw the lifting of heavy air conditioning units, and he considered it to be very dangerous work.
When a person is killed in an accident on the job, the surviving family members might be entitled to receive death benefits through the workers’ compensation insurance coverage maintained by the decedent’s employer. That insurance also exists to pay for the care of people hurt on the job. Someone injured at work, however, might not know what benefits are available or how to make a claim. Seeking help from an attorney after an on-the-job accident can be advisable. An attorney could take care of filing the claim or offer legal advice in cases that involve employer negligence or an unsafe working environment.
Source: WABC-TV, “New Jersey Construction Accident Kills 2 Workers“, Tim Fleischer, Feb. 18, 2016