There are innumerable ways that injuries can occur at industrial and construction worksites in Connecticut. Workers can be injured by inadequately maintained or defective heavy machinery, the can be overcome by fumes if a work area is not properly ventilated, or by a host of other potential dangers that can lead to serious injury or death. But one of the most common industrial workplace accidents is when an employee is working at some height off the ground and falls.

This type of workplace accident occurred recently in New Haven. A 37-year-old worker was working on the second floor of the old English Station power plant when he feel about 20 feet to the ground below. The worker's leg was injured in the fall and he was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital to treat his leg as well as to check for other internal injuries.

According to news reports, the worker was an employee of a sub-contractor who had been hired to remove asbestos from the building so that it could be torn down. At about ten in the morning last Thursday, the worker was pressure washing an area which had already been cleared of the asbestos.

The deputy fire chief said that there was a hole in the floor leading down a chute, and this was where the man fell. He was conscious, but injured by the time firefighters were able to reach him.

It is an employer's duty to ensure that their workers have a safe working environment. These precautions can include safety harnesses, barriers, or other techniques to keep workers safe from these types of falls.

Source: New Haven Independent "Power-Washer Falls 20 Feet," Nov. 3, 2011