Two men have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter charges stemming from a 2012 San Francisco construction accident death. The construction worker died after falling from a scaffold at a resident under construction in San Francisco’s Forest Hill Extension neighborhood. The worker, a carpenter for the construction company, had been employed with them for more than 20 years when he fell off the scaffolding, landing 18 feet below on a concrete floor. Construction sites are inherently dangerous and, as a result, adhering to the necessary safety precautions is critical to protecting all those on the site – including workers, contractors and other third parties.
Here, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation determined that when the worker fell, he was not wearing any fall protection and the scaffold and guardrails failed to protect him. The District Attorney prosecuting the matter stated, “Employers in California are required to provide the necessary protections for their workers in order to prevent a tragedy such as this…..With the significant amount of construction going on in San Francisco right now, it is more important than ever for everyone to follow all the rules and regulations around a job site.”
As Oakland construction accident lawyers, we agree. While it may not be possible to eliminate all risks, owners and general contractors must make it a priority to ensure that worksites are free from “unreasonable” dangers. This includes following all safety protocols as well as ensuring that workers are provided proper training and equipment.
For more information, or if you or a loved one was injured in a construction site accident, please contact the experienced Oakland personal injury lawyers at Viadro Law, LLP for an immediate consultation.
