A recent fire in Brooklyn started in an apartment building around an area that was under construction. While no cause of the fire has been released, the story does highlight an often forgotten danger about construction work.
While notorious for worker injuries and fatalities due to falls and heavy equipment accidents, construction sites also pose many other dangers and fire is certainly something to consider. When a building is being remodeled or built from scratch, there is a lot of work going on in different areas at the same time. It takes a seemingly simple accident to cause a very bad situation for all workers on site. For instance if workers hit power lines being established on the job site, there is a risk of electrocution that can lead to fires. There is also a risk of fire on the job when so much is happening at one time and workers are not paying attention to the job at hand. An improperly wired building can be the root cause of a fast moving fire on the job site. Fresh construction materials in the vicinity can go up in flames pretty fast, trapping workers and causing serious harm to rescuers.
It is important that all workers on a construction site be properly trained to handle fires should they break out during operations. Fire safety equipment including masks and fire extinguishers also need to be supplied by the employer with proper training for personnel on how to use them. It can take no time at all for fires to spread, injuring or killing workers in any work environment and reaction time is very important.
If you have been injured at work due to a fire, you may have the right to file for workers compensation benefits. Speak to our experienced legal team about protecting your rights as an injured worker. You can reach us toll free at 888-799-3918 or by using our online contact form for more information.
