Colorado construction workers injured by lightning strike
Five construction workers were injured — one of them critically — when lightning struck at a worksite about 70 miles due south of Denver in Colorado Springs. Three workers were hospitalized for treatment of their injuries.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says construction workers are among those in jobs in which lightning strikes pose a frequent danger. Others include workers who do power utility repairs, farmers, heavy equipment operators, plumbers and those who do telecommunication line repair.
More common injuries and illnesses experienced by Denver construction workers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include the following:
- Falls: this is one of the most common sources of injury in the construction business. Falls from ladders, scaffolding, roofs, cranes, buildings, heights on the jobsite and more, contribute to this category.
- Machinery: because so much of construction work is carried out with bulldozers, cranes, heavy dump trucks, backhoes, loaders, forklifts and power generators, the risk of injuries by machine are high. There are many types of incidents involving equipment, including workers having limbs crushed by improperly operated equipment and employees being struck by unyielding machines.
- Falling objects: another common source of injuries, the CDC says. These objects can fall from buildings, cranes, lifts, bridges and other heights on jobsites.
- Trench collapses: one of the most dangerous construction site workplaces is down in a trench. If the trench collapses, workers are in danger of having limbs crushed, or worse, suffocating.
Workers injured on the job typically get workers’ compensation, but if they do not, it can be time to speak with a Denver attorney experienced in appealing denial of deserved, earned benefits.
