The City of San Diego continues to grow at an exponential rate, as new construction sites pop up and redefine the Downtown landscape. It is true that the continual expansion of the city is a major source of employment for locals; however, construction projects also pose major safety risks to workers. A construction worker was recently killed while on the job in the East Village of San Diego.

According to a local news report, the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal-OSHA) was investigating a construction site accident that resulted in the death of one worker recently. The fatal accident reportedly took place when a column panel about to be filled with concrete toppled over. The identity of the fatal accident victim was not yet released, but a spokesperson with the Department of Industrial Relations did confirm that another employee was working with the column at the time of the incident. There was no word on whether or not human error or faulty equipment may have contributed to the accident.

OSHA is the federal agency charged with investigating workplace accidents across the country, as well as upholding safety standards for private-sector workers. In 2014, almost 5,000 workers were killed in job-related incidents. Construction worker deaths accounted for approximately 20 percent of all job-related fatalities that year, and being struck by an object was recognized as a leading cause of death among construction workers.

According to OSHA, a large number of work-related accidents and injuries are the result of safety violations. The findings of the OSHA investigation into the recent fatal construction site accident in the East Village were not yet available. The Law Offices of William C. Bibb has represented construction accident victims and their families for years, achieving damages for serious and fatal injuries.