Arizona highway construction workers have to do their jobs in dangerous conditions. One of those dangers is that presented by working close to a busy road without much protection. If a passing driver is not careful, they may hit a worker with their car.
However, even without the danger of heavy traffic, highway work zones are still busy places, and sometimes serious construction accidents involving a construction crew’s own equipment can occur.
For example, one worker who was working at the intersection of two major interstate highways in another state suffered serious injuries recently when one of his co-workers drove over him with an excavator. For those unfamiliar with construction equipment, an excavator is a large and heavy piece of machinery with a crane designed to break up and move soil. An excavator usually moves around on two large tracks, although in this case the excavator appears to have had tires; the victim was run over by the front tires.
Authorities say that the injured worker was rushed to a nearby hospital after the accident. One report said that he was in critical condition. Authorities investigating the accident say that the co-worker driving the excavator simply did not see the injured worker walking in front of the machine. Police do not expect to file any charges against the driver.
In addition to keeping their crews safe from highway traffic, employers at road construction sites also need to take precautions to make sure that workers do not accidentally get too close to moving construction equipment. Workers on foot need to be able to stay away from the moving machines as much as possible.
Should an Arizona construction worker suffer injuries on account of a machinery accident like the one here, that worker can use Arizona’s workers’ compensation system to get financial assistance that can cover medical expenses, disability and lost income.
Source: Omaha World-Herald, “Iowa worker injured when excavator runs over him,” Aug. 7, 2013
