McDowell, KY – Wednesday morning, an unidentified construction worker, fell from a bridge in McDowell, KY.
It looks like a worker was injured after a fall from a bridge, near the Minnie community, in McDowell. It’s being reported that the worker is an employee of Haydon Bridge Company. There is nothing to indicate the seriousness of the man’s injuries at this time. although it is being reported that he was taken to a hospital.
An investigation into the accident is ongoing. A quick check with our friends at OSHA finds that a Haydon Bridge Company in Kentucky has been cited 2 times in the past 8 years for serious violations regarding proper fall protection. We cannot confirm at this time that it’s the same company, but we will update you when we know.
Map of the Area Near the Accident
Commentary:
Stories like this make my blood boil. I know that it may not be the same Haydon Bridge Company that was fined twice for not having proper fall protection for their employees, but if it is, it’s not as surprising as it should be.
I am sympathetic to complaints from business that their are too many regulations, that they spend more time trying to abide by the regulations than they do running their businesses. I totally get that. However, stories such as these, where a company may have been warned not once, but twice about a safety situation and apparently didn’t learn their lesson, are the reason that people are okay with government stepping in more and more.
It’s bad actors who were warned about a potential disaster and still let that disaster unfold that make things tougher on the innumerable honest and safe business owners out there who are the bedrock of this great country. An even better check on those bad operators is that the constitution guarantees people their day in court. When something is beyond the pale, like being warned about a grave safety hazard multiple times and still doing nothing, we as a people have recourse.
I understand that some jobs, like bridge building are tough, dangerous jobs. I also understand that even with all the precautions in the world, accidents are still going to happen. I just think, and I hope you agree, that it’s not unreasonable for us to ask our employers to take common sense precautions to protect the well-being of their employees.