Submitted by Aiken Jacobsen on
One of the most dangerous professions in California is construction work. Workers face dangers and hazards which put their lives at risk every day. The annual fatality rate for construction workers in California is 27 per 100,000 workers.
A recent civil and criminal case involving a Bakersfield construction company highlights the hazards workers face on the job. It also shows that construction accidents are often fatal.
In 2008, an accident at a road construction site in Bakersfield left two men dead. The two men were excavating in a trench near an intersection. The company foremen instructed his workers to continue excavating despite the fact that he had been warned of a water pipeline in the area. The workers struck the water pipeline and the trench quickly flooded. Both men drowned.
Earlier this month, the construction company settled a civil lawsuit for $3 million. Now it has been announced that the foreman on the job that day will face criminal charges. He has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and violating the Labor Code. All charges against him are felonies, and if convicted, he will likely face serious prison time.
In his testimony, the foreman said that he was basing his instructions to employees off of a map which may have been incomplete. At the very least, he admitted that perhaps the map was upside down. In either case, this negligence cost his workers their lives.
When construction accidents happen, the responsibility often falls on the shoulders of the foreman. He is responsible for making critical decisions and for ensuring the safety of his employees. It is a job which carries heavy responsibility and should not be taken lightly.
The pending criminal charges against the foreman have helped bring closure to the families of the deceased men. The construction company has also been forced to adopt new safety policies which will prevent an accident like this in the future.
Source: Bakersfield.com, "Charges filed in construction accident that killed Bakersfield man," Jason Kotowski, 22 February 2011
