A 46-year-old construction worker died at Mercy Hospital on September 27 after a three-ton steel beam struck the man at work. Sabahudin Ramulic, a Tonawanda resident, worked for Linita Design and Manufacturing in Lackawanna.
Patrick Barker, a co-worker, was also struck by the falling beam. Barker sustained non-life-threatening leg wounds.
Linita Design and Manufacturing makes structural products by welding steel into custom shapes. The company has received at least two work site violations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the past.
Avoiding Construction Accidents
Construction and manufacturing companies are required by law to provide several protections for their employees. Employers typically provide or require workers to wear safety goggles, steel-toed boots, hard hats, and back-support braces.
No amount of safety gear, however, could protect someone from a falling steel beam weighing three tons. That's why companies must also follow rigorous laws to lessen the likeliness of mistakes on the job.
Unfortunately, accidents can happen even when companies focus on accident prevention and safety precautions. When they do, people like Ramulic can lose their lives.
