Restoration workers injured after fall at sewage plant

Many job duties put the health and well-being of Denver employees on the line every day. One mistake could lead to serious injury or even death. It is very possible that employees could be injured like two restoration workers had been in a recent on-the-job fall

The men were working at a wastewater treatment plant, where they were performing maintenance work inside a large, empty sewage digester. The men were perched 18 feet off the bottom of the digester, sealing cracks in the tank, when the scaffolding they were on collapsed and sent them tumbling.

Because the men were inside a confined space, careful work was required to extract the injured workers. Rescue workers had to use ropes and baskets and make sure that the men were supported as they were lifted out of the digester.

One of the men was reportedly slipping in and out of consciousness after the fall and he also suffered a cut on his head and possibly an ankle injury. The man’s co-worker had a potentially broken leg. They were transported to separate hospitals to be treated for their injuries.

Other men were also working in the digester, and one of them made an effort to stop the scaffolding from collapsing. And in the process he may have suffered a head injury. He was also taken to a hospital to be checked out.

Had this accident happened in Colorado, it is likely that all three men could apply for workers’ compensation if they needed time off to heal. These kinds of accidents illustrate just how dangerous some jobs can be.

Source: Indianapolis Star, “Lafayette rescue crews save 2 injured workers after sewage tank fall,” Eric Weddle and David Smith, Sept. 29, 2012

It is not uncommon for Denver construction workers to suffer on-the-job falls. Find out more about what we have done on their behalf by visiting our website.

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