A 28-year-old-man was killed in Watertown, New York, on Monday, Aug. 18, at a site located at 759 Starbuck Avenue.
The construction site accident happened shortly after 2 p.m. at New York Air Brake. The worker was employed with P&M Construction in Watertown. The company was under contract to perform work at the facility.
According to police reports, the man was attempting to move some heavy equipment when, for unknown reasons, he became trapped underneath the equipment and was crushed.
Personnel with the Jefferson County Sheriff Department, the Watertown Fire Department, the Watertown Police Department and Guilfoyle Ambulance all arrived on the scene to attempt a rescue. However, the Jefferson County Medical Examiner pronounced the man dead at the accident scene.
The Watertown Police Department issued a statement that read, in part, “Our Department is working with members of OSHA . . . the New York Air Brake, and P & M Construction. This is an ongoing investigation of an industrial accident.”
The president of New York Air Brake also expressed the company’s sadness at the contract worker’s death in a written statement that also stressed their cooperation in the investigative process.
When other companies are contracted to do work at another company’s facility or off-site location, it can be difficult to ascertain that all of the workers have received the proper safety training in order to prevent injuries and deaths. But this is necessary to determine in order for the company to be protected from legal liability in the event of a safety lapse.
The construction worker’s survivors may elect to pursue legal action against both companies involved, pending results of the ongoing investigation.
Source: WNYF, “Contract Worker Dies In New York Air Brake Accident” Aug. 19, 2014
