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Emergency response units were called out to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry on Monday, September 30th around 10:30 PM with reports of a construction worker pinned by a forklift.
At the 5700 S Lake Shore Drive location, the Chicago Fire Department’s crews employed numerous tools and hydraulic equipment to retrieve the victim. He suffered grave injuries to his arms and legs, and was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.
Details regarding the incident are still being released, though it is believed that the floor underneath the forklift collapsed as it attempted to lift a half-ton load. It was due to this fracture of the floor that the victim ended up pinned in a six-foot deep compartment underneath the Museum floor.
The Museum is undergoing various renovation initiatives, though this is only the first instance of an accident on the premises during the year-long project. The Museum’s director of communications, Amy Patti, indicated in a statement that they are “working with the contractor to thoroughly review the situation.”
Construction accident attorney and Legal Herald contributor, Brian Kent offered the following legal expertise for victims of accidents with heavy machinery on construction sites:
“Even the seamless and most contained construction projects are likely to require the use of “heavy machinery.” This broadly used term can refer to compactors, backhoes, pipelayers, loaders, forklifts, tractors, and more.
And while these powerful tools are often necessary for construction jobs to be completed on time and within budget, they have to be operated with extreme caution. Yet caution is not enough, so OSHA (the Occupational Safety & Health Administration) has established a long list of safety standards that must be followed.
As one can imagine, these safety regulations are intended to keep workers, and everyone else on a construction site, safe from harm. Unfortunately, all standards are not always followed and when these violations take place, it is very possible that an injury can occur.
When construction workers are injured on the job, there’s a couple of things they should know. Most of all, they should be aware that they have the right to file for worker’s compensation; these claims can then help pay for any medical treatment that resulted from the injury. In some cases, they can extend as far as covering a portion of lost wages.”
https://abc7chicago.com/msi-construction-worker-critical-after-being-pinned-under-forklift/5581102/
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