Recently, a North Lawndale construction accident resulted in the death of one construction worker and injuries to another. The construction workers came into contact with an electrical current at a West Side construction site. ComEd crews worked to secure the area for more than seven hours after the incident occurred. It appears that the two workers were on a crane, working close to several power lines.
The site where the two construction workers were working at the time of the accident is a planned affordable housing development. The employer of the two workers was unknown at the time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20 percent of the 5,190 fatal work injuries that occurred in the U.S. in 2021 were in the construction industry.
There are four common construction injuries, known as the “fatal four,” that are the leading causes of death. Falls, electrocutions, caught in or between equipment, and struck by an object make up the fatal four. Electrocution was responsible for about 8 percent of construction worker deaths in 2021, caused by lightning strikes, poorly maintained power tools and cords, contact with overhead power lines, and energized conductors or circuit parts.