Construction worker dies at 49ers stadium site

Construction workers often toil under greater danger than many other employees -- the danger of falling materials, of live power lines or of a motor vehicle accident is ever-present. Construction companies have a duty to allay these dangers, however, and ensure that their workers remain safe.

Unfortunately, construction companies are not always successful in carrying out this duty. Take, for instance, the 49ers stadium construction project, which, for the second time since June, is reporting a fatal accident on the worksite.

The accident occurred around daybreak, when a truck driver was suddenly crushed by the load from his own vehicle. The man was hauling a shipment of rebar to the site. Upon his arrival, he exited the truck; some of the rebar then somehow fell upon him. He was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

This is the second fatal incident for the $1.3 billion project. The first one involved a veteran elevator mechanic who was struck by a descending counterweight. The weight struck the 63-year-old man on the head, killing him at the scene.

While some construction accidents are the result of chance, or the product of an employee's bad judgment, a large number of serious injuries in a short amount of time may cause some observers to examine the construction company itself. Companies have a duty to provide workers with the equipment, policies and knowledge they need to stay safe on the job; failure to do this represents a serious breach of the workers' rights.

Following this most recent accident, the construction site was shut down for the day. A spokesman for the 49ers released a statement saying the team wished to extend their thoughts and prayers to the family of the victim.

Source: KTVU-TV, "Second industrial death at new 49ers stadium worksite" No Author Given, Oct. 14, 2013