Two utility workers were killed in an accident Saturday in Bourne, Massachusetts. Authorities say that the electrical workers were working in a lift basket when the crane truck tipped over. Details about what went wrong are still unknown as investigators look into the tragic accident.
An official with the Bourne Fire Department says when the truck toppled over, the boom was fully extended and the basket and the men fell into a 30-foot deep hole created as a result of gravel excavation in the area. Officials believe that the boom on the crane was fully extended and the two workers may have fallen 170 feet in the crane-truck accident. The truck was left standing on its backside with the cab of the heavy machinery sticking up in the air.
Two families have lost a loved one as a result of the tragic workplace accident. The families may not have answers for months about what went wrong to cause the truck to topple onto its back bumper.
The two linemen, one from Quincy, Massachusetts, and the other from Fall River, were working on lines associated with a new tower near the Cape Cod Canal. The area surrounding the accident site is associated with a company that supplies gravel, sand and stone. Authorities say that reports of the fatal accident began flowing in to dispatchers Saturday afternoon shortly after 12:30.
Crane trucks, bucket lifts and other heavy equipment commonly used in the construction, tree removal and many other industries, including utility company work, can elevate workers to great heights, exposing workers to the serious risk of injury or death in a fall. Investigations into these accidents are vital for future worker safety.
Moreover, the family of a fatal accident victim often has many questions about what went wrong. Independent investigations may supplement workplace safety probes in learning the complete details surrounding a tragic accident, including occasions when a third-party is negligent in causing an accident.
Source: The Boston Globe, “Officials probe cause of fatal Bourne crane accident,” Jeremy C. Fox, April 14, 2014
