A construction worker in Syracuse, NY was hurt last week when multiple pallets on a job site fell and partially pinned him against a wall at the Carousel Center Mall.
The worker, Michael Kauffman, was unloading pallets full of ceramic floor tiles. A forklift was also on the job removing pallets full of tiles from the same shipping container when three of the pallets fell onto Kauffman. Emergency crews were called to the mall and assisted with the incident. He was able to be freed and taken to Upstate University Hospital with minor injuries affecting his face and elbow. OSHA has launched an investigation after being notified of the accident and investigators arrived at the scene following the accident.
Construction work has long been a dangerous job and with the additional risk of working around moving vehicles such as the forklift, puts many workers’ safety at risk. There have been numerous fatalities in the construction injury following the improper use of machinery and lack of proper training.
The Carousel Center Mall is undergoing a large expansion with new high-end outlet stores, major entertainment venues, and chain restaurants being added to the super-mall. The name of the complex will also be changed to Destiny USA as part of a long-awaited rebranding project. The new center is expected to open in August of this year. Construction on the project has been ongoing since 2007 with many starts and stops due to court struggles and the national economy.
