Regardless of the industry in which a person is employed, safety hazards will always be present. California workers suffer many workplace injuries in circumstances that question the compliance with federal safety regulations. The Apple Valley Unified School District recently reported the death of an employee who has provided custodian services to schools in the district for many years.
School officials reported that the incident occurred after school hours on Oct.7. In the line of duty, the custodian was on a ladder when unknown circumstances caused him to fall. Although there were no students present, school employees alerted 911 immediately. The critically injured man was rushed to a medical facility from where he was subsequently airlifted to another facility.
He was put on life support but, sadly, succumbed to his injuries later. Officials of the school district commented on the positive impact the custodian had on all those who came into contact with him. Cal/OSHA, the sheriff’s department and the school district are all involved in an investigation into the tragic death of the worker.
Losing a loved one in an accident that caused fatal workplace injuries will always be a traumatic experience, especially if the person’s job was never seen as a dangerous occupation. Nevertheless, financial relief is available for the dependents of the deceased worker. The California workers’ compensation insurance program offers death benefits for covered dependents. Although this will do little to ease the heartache, medical bills and end-of-life expenses should be covered along with lost wages to help ease the family’s financial burden.
Source: vvdailypress.com, “AVUSD custodian dies after fall from ladder“, Oct. 14, 2015