Subway construction accident ends worker’s life, injures five others

New York subways have made commuter transportation not only easy, but possible in a city with a population that significantly outweighs the automobile traffic capacity. The underground transportation system is an amazing and useful invention, but it poses a serious risk of construction site accidents for the thousands of maintenance workers that keep the transit system operating.

One New York construction worker was killed and five others were injured this week while working on a future site for a subway station that has been under construction at the York University campus.

The accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at around 2:30 p.m. when a large piece of crane machinery fell from its mountings. According to New York police, the heavy equipment fell on top of two smaller, manned pieces of machinery.

The construction worker operating the larger crane piece was killed in the fall. Five other workers were injured including one operator in a smaller machine who became trapped beneath the larger piece for approximately 90 minutes.

The accident site has been closed off and remains under investigation by the Ministry of Labour. A TTC spokesman said that the men injured were contractors working under a joint venture and that those firms were responsible for the safety of the construction site.

New York construction workers use dangerous and heavy machinery every day. It is the job of their employer to provide a safe environment and ensure that getting the project finished on time is the workers’ main concern. If you have been injured at a construction site, an experienced personal injury attorney can discuss your case and advocate for your rights.

Source: The Globe and Mail, “One dead after heavy machinery crashes at York University,” Carys Mills, Oct. 11, 2011