Beasley Allen is investigating a deadly work-related construction accident that took the life of a 22-year-old Irvington, Alabama man on Jan. 27, 2021. William Khemmanivanh had just graduated from Southern Union State Community College months earlier and started his first job at SPI/Mobile Pulley Works at 905 S. Ann St. in Mobile, when the accident occurred.
Mobile Fire-Rescue say Khemmanivanh was on a bridge crane about 35 feet in the air when he was pulled into a pulley apparatus. Rescue workers recovered his body and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.
SPI/Mobile Pulley Works specializes in building dredge equipment and wear components. The company was formed in 2003 when Steel Processors purchased 110-year-old Mobile Pulley company. The South Ann Street location where the accident occurred houses a foundry, machine shop, and fabrication facilities.
In May 2010, another SPW/Mobile Pulley Works worker was killed while working on the roof of a foundry after he fell approximately 27 feet through a skylight onto the concrete floor below.
Many construction accidents are preventable
Tragically, construction accidents occur much too often and many are preventable. According to OSHA, 5,333 workers died on-the-job in 2019, 20% of whom were working in construction. Approximately 36.5% of all deaths in the workplace occurred due to employees falling such as while working in areas with unprotected sides or holes, or improperly constructed walking or working surfaces. Other fall-related fatalities occurred when workers fell from ladders, roofs, scaffolding or other work surfaces without proper fall protection. Lack of fall protection in construction is the most frequently cited OSHA standards violation.
Construction workers are required to handle heavy machinery, dangerous equipment, work in great heights, and perform their job in inherently dangerous environments. Construction accidents resulting in serious on-the-job injuries or death can occur when the construction company doesn’t take proper precautions to ensure the safety of its workers. They can also be caused when other companies involved in a construction project that do not employ the injured worker act negligently. In some cases, defective materials or safety equipment may be to blame.
Industrial accident lawyers
“Because there are many potential parties at the site of a construction accident that seriously injures or kills a worker, there are many possibilities for potential recovery,” said Beasley Allen’s Evan Allen. “An experienced industrial accident lawyer can help construction workers or families of workers injured or killed on the job get the compensation they deserve.”
Beasley Allen handles a variety of cases related to workplace safety. While all workers should be guaranteed a safe working environment, all too often we handle cases of serious injuries and deaths resulting from a hazardous work environment. Many times, our investigation reveals defective or dangerous machinery was involved, or employers failed to provide adequate protections or ignored safety regulations. If you have a client in need of an experienced industrial accident lawyer, contact Kendall Dunson or Evan Allen, lawyers in our Personal Injury; Products Liability Section who handle workplace litigation for our firm.
