Construction Accident and Death at New Dallas County Stadium Site
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A second construction related accident at the Dallas Cowboy stadium in less than a week ended in a fatality. Timothy Mackinnon, 45 years old, of Arlington, Texas died on Saturday when he touched a high-voltage line. He was performing an electrical test when he touched the power line and became wedged between the ladder and a wall. He was carried to the ground by a co-worker who tired to revive him. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at the hospital. This death is the second accident in a few days -- after a crane accident sent three workers to the hospital.
Due to the numerous crane related and construction site accidents, OSHA needs to be held accountable for these terrible tragedies. OSHA has not updated their crane standards since 1971. Updating the regulations are a top priority but approving the rules could take more than a year. Cranes are supposed to be inspected once a year but unfortunately, most inspections never happen. Last year, of the country’s 4 million construction sites, only 23,000 sites were inspected. Those numbers are staggering. A Labor Department spokeswoman, Sharon Worthy stated:
“She didn't know how many of those sites had cranes, but the federal government last year issued $500,000 in annual penalties for crane violations.”
A crane company owner recently asked officials for a list of safety hazards that inspectors look for and was told the information was not public. How can this crane company know what is needed if it is not public information? In 35 other states, operators don’t even need a license of any kind.
Operating a crane is one of the most highly specialized skills on a construction site and more regulations, inspections, trainings and certifications are a must before more lives are lost.