Two Ohio Workers Killed in Crane Accident

May 15th, 2013    Posted in Accident News

Columbus, OH- Federal investigators arrived at a Timken steel mill in Akron, Ohio last week to determine the cause of a crane accident that killed two workers.

The two men, Brian Black, 38 and Mark Tovissi, 50 were working for an excavating contractor at the steel plant when the boom from the crane collapsed and fell onto the two men, killing then instantly.

Officials at Timken released a statement following the accident which read statement read, “At approximately 12:45 p.m. a crane accident at a construction site at The Timken Co.’s Faircrest Steel Plant, in Perry Township, Canton, OH, resulted in the fatalities of two Beaver Excavating workers. On-site responders immediately contacted emergency and Perry Township police, who arrived at the scene shortly thereafter. OSHA officials also were notified. Construction operations were immediately suspended until further notice.”

The Akron Beacon Journal reported that the crane was not owned by Timken or Beaver Excavation; the owner has not been identified.

OSHA arrived on the scene to investigate the cause.

According to 2011 data from the OSHA, approximately 13 people are killed in workplace accident nationwide on a daily basis. That equates to an average of 4,609 fatal workplace accidents each year. An additional 4 million workers are injured on the job each year and some of those injured workers become permanently disabled.

A large majority of those fatal and injurious accidents, approximately 18 percent occur on construction sites, and are generally caused by falls, electrocution, strikes by objects and caught-in-between accidents; OSHA refers to these accidents as the “fatal four.”

OSHA is tasked with making certain that employers are taking the necessary precautions to prevent workplace accidents, but with only 2,200 inspectors it is difficult for the agency to make certain that all of 130 million U.S. workers are kept safe from harm.

Employers have a responsibility to make certain that their employees are given adequate safety training and that all equipment is in proper working order. But unfortunately, some employers put their profit margins above the safety of their employees and put people’s lives at risk.

Workman’s compensation will cover an employee’s injuries if they occurred while on the job, but some injuries are permanently debilitating, and the worker will need financial help beyond their medical bills.

Although workman’s compensation will cover the employees lost wages, the amount is generally only two-thirds of what the employee earned while working, although some states put a cap on these benefits. This may not be enough for injured person to cover their everyday living expenses or maintain their standard of living.

Injured employees don’t always need the help of an accident attorney, but sometimes employers may question an employee’s eligibility for long-term or disability benefits. In these cases,  it best for the injured worker to contact a personal injury attorney to discuss their injuries and determine if it is in their best interests to pursue a negligent employer for settlements beyond what workman’s compensation is willing to pay.