Scaffold Collapse

Scaffold Collapse IN JACKSON, MS

The scaffold is an integral and important piece of equipment in jobsites in Jackson and across the nation. This temporary, elevated workspace allows workers to be where they need to be, and sometimes that means at potentially dangerous heights. Since even lower scaffolds can present a risk when they collapse, it’s absolutely essential to ensure all scaffolds are safe, compliant, used properly and are in good working order. Whether you were injured on a supported, suspended or aerial lift scaffold, it’s important to speak with a personal injury attorney about your claim as soon as possible.

Three Ways to Keep Workers Safe

  1. Appropriate construction of scaffold complying with all federal OSHA safety standards and regulations.
  2. Limiting access to safe and appropriate usage from varying scaffolds, inclines and surfaces.
  3. Ensuring all workers and jobsite managers are scaffold trained, competent and safe. Workers also need to be trained to inspect and recognize any potential safety problems before utilizing a scaffold.

When Planks Give Way

One of the most common problems associated with scaffolding collapse is when planks or support footing gives way. In many cases, this happens when the planks are over loaded with workers or materials. If planks or footing boards give way, workers on the scaffold and below can become seriously injured in the subsequent collapse. Employers and jobsite managers need to ensure they observe and comply with all scaffolding manufacturer’s instructions. The weight restrictions are not merely suggestions, and the need to be observed and enforced.

Injuries Associated with Scaffold Collapse:

  • Falls from heights
  • Being crushed by scaffolds or equipment on or surrounding scaffolds
  • Objects falling and striking workers below or near the collapsing scaffolds

Scaffold Training for Construction Site Safety

Safety training for both supervisors and workers goes a long way in improving safety, especially where the potential for scaffold collapse exists. All workers, employees, supervisors and anybody at the jobsite who might have access or the need to use a scaffold needs to be properly trained. Not only is it necessary to train on safe scaffolding techniques, it’s also essential to train workers to inspect each scaffold before they use it. They need to be able to spot any potential defects, damages or other issues that could compromise the safety of a particular scaffold, before they put their lives on the line. Simply being able to recognize a problem could save countless lives.

Scaffold Collapse Injuries

A variety of injuries can occur as a result of a collapsed scaffold. If you were on the scaffold when it collapsed, you could be facing fractures, neck and spinal cord injuries, paralysis, traumatic brain injuries or even death. If you were near or below the scaffold, you might be facing crush injuries. It’s possible for objects and scaffolding parts to fall during a collapse and strike nearby workers. In some cases, depending upon the individual job site, it’s also possible to face electrocution type injuries during a scaffold collapse.

Preventable Scaffold Collapse Accidents

Sadly, most scaffold collapses are entirely preventable. The risk of using the elevated platforms is greatly reduced with well-trained workers and supervisors used safe and properly constructed scaffolds on the job site. If supervisors or project managers are negligent or scaffolding isn’t properly and safely constructed or used, workers’ lives are put at great risk. After any jobsite accident involving a scaffold collapsing, it’s essential to ensure a thorough and in-depth workplace injury investigation is conducted to see how the incident could have been prevented.

Worker’s Compensation and Third Parties

Although most workers think that worker’s compensation is their only option after an injury on the jobsite, that’s simply not true. In some cases, a negligent third party can be held accountable after a scaffold collapse. If somebody other than your employer was responsible or partly responsible for your injury, it may be possible to collect damages from that person to cover medical bills, lost wages and other expenses associated with your injury accident.

After a Scaffold Collapse in Jackson

Scaffold collapse accidents can leave victims permanently disabled and unable to financially provide for their families. Whether you’re facing a recover from relatively minor injuries or you’re looking at a lifetime impact and change to your daily life, a personal injury lawyer can help you to navigate the complexities of an injury claim and be your advocate and your family’s advocate as you begin to recover from your injuries. If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a scaffold collapse in Jackson or in any of the surrounding Metro Area communities, contact the proven team at Coxwell & Associates, PLLC at (601) 265-7766 for a free case consultation today.

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