Kansas Worker Killed in Construction Accident in Columbia, Missouri. Work Comp Safety Laws Implicated

A construction worker from Paola, Kansas who was working on the IBM Building being built in Columbia, Missouri, was killed on Tuesday May 25, 2010.  Larry Embley, who was working for Design Metal, was injured just after 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday in a construction accident, and was taken to University Hospital where he was died.  OSHA has begun an investigation into the accident, which they say could take up to six months.

According to his employer, Embley was fixing a roof when he fell. It says he was working to remove metal roofing to get to insulation in the building when the fall arrest system he was wearing got tangled. Embley apparently unhooked the safety latch and stepped beyond the metal roofing and fell through the insulation. Eight other employees were in the area but did not see the fatal construction injury accident.

Design Metals says the site was safety inspected and approved earlier Tuesday morning.  At that time, Embley was seen using and wearing the fall arrest system as protection. OSHA's investigation continues and investigators were on the site as of Wednesday, May 26. A report from OSHA may take three to six months.

While it is unclear what happened to Mr. Embley, this story points out the importance of using construction safety equipment when it is provided by employer. In both Missouri and Kansas, if an employee is injured on the job because he or she failed to use safety equipment provided by employer, the injured employee can forfeit some workers compensation benefits.  Experienced Kansas City workers compensation attorney James Roswold can explain the laws regarding safety equipment and construction accidents. Visit Roswold Law Group's website for work comp articles, videos, free books, and more.