Construction Worker Dies in Fall from Roof in Lexington, Kentucky

A worker suffered fatal injuries in a fall off a roof in Lexington, Kentucky on Monday, June 30th. According to news reports, the victim was on the roof of Saint Peter Claver Catholic Church, located at Jefferson and West Fourth Street in downtown Lexington, when he fell. Witnesses indicate that the victim fell 25-30 feet. The worker died of injuries related to blunt force trauma, according to a coroner’s report in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Although the accident will be thoroughly investigated by Kentucky work safety authorities, it appears as though the safety rope responsible for securing the worker snapped. A co-worker who was working alongside the victim when the accident occurred said the workers were laying out felt paper on the roof, when the victim leaned back and the rope broke. “We always double check our ropes to make sure that they’re good and tied on,” the co-worker told Lex18. “I don’t see how it just snapped like that.” Despite the accident, work on the building resumed a few hours after the fall.

Construction Fall Accidents

Year after year, falls consistently represent the largest percentage of construction workplace fatal accidents, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA. For 2012, more than a third of the 806 fatal construction accidents were the result of a fall accident.

Falls, along with “struck by object”, electrocutions, and “caught in/between” accidents make up OSHA’s “Fatal Four” list. These four types of accidents account for more than half of all construction workplace fatalities each year.

In addition, “fall protection in construction” was the number one most frequently cited federal safety violation by OSHA in 2012. Other safety violations that rounded out the top ten most cited violations include “scaffolding, general requirement, construction” and “ladders, construction”.

The risk to workers in the construction industry of suffering a fall injury should be clear. Each year, OSHA works to educate both employers and workers about the dangers of fall injuries through a combination of outreach and enforcement of safety standards. Information about fall protection can be found on OSHA’s website. As a worker, if you believe that your employer is not properly protecting workers, you have a right to file a complaint with OSHA online, by mail, or by telephone. Although you have the option to file anonymously, the law also protects you from reprisals from your employer for filing a complaint.

If you have been injured in a Kentucky workplace fall accident, or any other type of workplace accident, you may be entitled to benefits from the Kentucky workers’ compensation system. Although the system is intended to be a quick and efficient method for injured workers to qualify for benefits, navigating the system can be difficult. To ensure that you understand your rights and responsibilities under the workers compensation system, an experienced Kentucky workers’ compensation attorney can advise you if you have suffered a Kentucky work-related injury or illness.