Emergency crews have found the body of a construction worker who fell into a 15-foot-trench at a construction site in Holly Springs, North Carolina. Rudolpho Monasterio was killed when he fell into a trench and became trapped. Rescuers worked overnight to get his body out. Monasterio worked for Milton Grading and Utilities.

Worker's Body Recovered from Construction Site

Workers had been laying a new sewer line at the Village Center Shops when the accident occurred. Two other workers were able to escape without injury.

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Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A cleaning sub-contractor for Qantas had his arm crushed by a waste container at Melbourne Airport in Australia. The container, which weighed several tones, fell off a truck and onto the man's left arm. He was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital and underwent surgery. Michael Birt, a WorkSafe spokesman, said that investigations into the accident were pending.

Cleaner's Arm Crushed

“Employers have responsibilities obviously to their own people but also to their sub-contractors. We look at mechanical issues with the vehicle, training and supervision, what systems and procedures they have for people working in those areas at that time and interviewing any witnesses," said Birt.

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Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

61-year-old Mate Grgas was killed at a construction site where a home was being built on September 12, 2005. An investigation has decided his death to be accidental. Grgas was working alone, inside a steel hin, which had been lifted about ten feet by a forklift. Police say that the forklift dropped Grgas and the bin and the bin landed on Grgas, crushing him.

Jury Rules Worker's Death Accidental

Dr. Bonita Porter, the Ontario Deputy Chief Coroner, said that the coroner's inquest cannot make "a finding or blame or make any comment on legal responsibility." Grgas worked in construction for 14 years.

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Posted by Patricia Bowling at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Two workers had to be taken to the hospital after a part of an office building under construction collapsed in Minnesota. The construction site is located at The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes, which is located at the juntion of Interstate 94, Interstate 684, and Hemlock Lane. Ten people were taken to the hospital; eight of them were brought in by ground ambulance and two by air.

Collapse at Maple Grove Construction Site Injures 10 Workers

Tracy Stille, the Maple Grove police captain, said that the workers had been pouting concrete on the third floor when the building collapsed. Brad Wood, an executive vice president at McGough, the company which owns the building, said, "we have some people out right now assessing what has happened and the cause."

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Posted by Patricia Bowling at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A man was killed in a construction accident in Lansing Township, Michigan. Hydraulic failure caused a gravel hauler to dump its load on the cab of another hauler. The 35-year-old construction worker in the cab of the truck was crushed. The two trucks had been carrying fill dirt when the accident occurred.

Construction Accident Claims Corunna Man

Police are investigating the accident. Township Police Chief Kay Hoffman says that "it appears to be an accident, but we don't know what created this accident." The man's identity has not yet been released.

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Posted by Patricia Bowling at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jim Sheridan, a Labour MP says that the sharp rise in construction deaths can be blamed on the expansion of the European Union. Sheridan says that the 32 percent rise in deaths is a "particularly worrying trend" and may be linked to an influx of workers from Europe. Sheridan says that immigrants do not have inferior working skills or dedication, but that the problem lies in workplaces that aren't doing enough to accommodate those who don't speak English.

EU Expansion Blamed for UK Construction Death Increase

Andrew Selous, a conservative MP, says that a good example of the problem is a construction company who has signs written in multiple languages in the canteen, but only signs in English on the actual construction site. Michael Clapham MP, who has raised the debate as to whether corporations can be held guilty for manslaughter, says: "More needs to be done. Ucatt's concerns deserve to be addressed to ensure a positive health and safety culture within the construction industry."

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Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)