Construction industry jobs often offer good pay during the building season. However, this type of work can also include employees suffering from construction injuries. One such incident at a North Carolina high school has caused several workers to be injured.
The late morning accident is said to have happened when the temporary staging structure fell apart while the work crew were on it. The construction workers were continuing work on the planned addition to the school. Eight employees were said to have been injured. Of the total injured, two were hurt severely enough to have required helicopters to take them to hospitals.
It was reported that there were possibly more than 12 workers on the scaffold when it collapsed. Some of the workers fell more than 29 feet. Six workers required medical care at other area medical centers. There have been no released reports concerning the condition of any of the injured crew. North Carolina safety officers are said to be conducting an investigation into the possible reasons why the structure may have failed.
The workers that have suffered from these construction injuries may require a long time to heal from their wounds. They will most likely apply for workers’ compensation that has been designed to provide them with monetary assistance while they are unable to work. All states have a form of this insurance program for employees that suffer work related injuries or illnesses. North Carolina has this program available for their workers as well as additional resources that can help if an employee encounters difficulties while attempting to collect their benefits.
Source: hamptonroads.com, “8 workers injured when scaffolding collapses in N.C.,” Aug. 13, 2013
