A 44 year old Brooklyn man recently died in a fatal ladder accident. The deceased worker, Shulem Benyosef, was on a 30-foot extension ladder working on the roof at 449 20th Street in Brooklyn when he fell off the ladder. He slipped while working more than three stories above the ground. Reportedly, after falling 30 feet, his head slammed into the unforgiving concrete. Benyosef was doing construction work at the location.
Emergency personnel rushed to the scene, finding Mr. Benyosef on the ground suffering from serious head trauma. He was taken immediately to Lutheran Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.
Benyosef is a married father of two young children. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this very trying time.
The accident will be investigated by the 72nd precinct as well as investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (O.S.H.A.). Hopefully the investigation will uncover how and why this tragedy occurred. Those who were close with the victim deserve answers.
- Were workers given a safe environment to do their jobs?
- Was the ladder in safe and sound working order?
- Were workers provided with fall protection equipment?
- Could a scaffold been used to better address the task at hand?
- Were work deadlines forcing workers to do things at a faster, perhaps unsafe, pace?
The investigation should be thorough and unapologetic; the sole goal should be determining if unsafe work practices contributed to this death. This is yet another loss of life for one of the hardworking women and men in the construction industry. It represents another profound loss for our country; another person whose life was sacrificed solely due to their livelihood.
Block O’Toole & Murphy Is a law firm that is committed to fighting on behalf of working women and men. We have recovered more than $850,000,000 on behalf of our injured clients. You can learn more about the firm by reviewing the firm website at www.blockotoole.com.
Sources:
JP Updates