Weather conditions could increase construction accident risks

Icy conditions can prove treacherous under a variety of circumstances. For North Carolina residents who work in construction, cold weather and ice could result in work areas becoming hazardous and potentially increasing the risk of a construction accident. If such an incident takes place and a worker is injured, information on workers’ compensation may prove useful.

One man in another state could soon be looking into this type of benefits after being injured in a workplace accident. Reports stated that the man was working on the roof of a store located in a retail complex, and there was ice on the roof. As a result of these conditions, the man slipped. Though he remained on the roof, he suffered an injury to his leg that resulted in an inability to get to the ground.

In order to get the man off the roof, emergency crews used a “Stokes basket,” or a stretcher on cables. The man was lowered to the ground and then taken from the scene by ambulance in order to have his injury treated. The seriousness of the injury was not described in the report. The rescue took approximately an hour as the icy conditions hindered the process.

With colder weather well underway, North Carolina residents could be at risk of suffering an injury due to ice. If workers are seriously injured in a construction accident and need to take time away from work, they could find themselves in a difficult financial predicament. Luckily, if qualified, injured workers could be awarded workers’ compensation that could assist in times of financial difficulties stemming from work-related injuries.

Source: recordonline.com, “Rescuers pull injured worker off icy roof“, Richard J. Bayne, Dec. 8, 2016