Construction worker falls to his death in Haifa

Man plunges 6 meters from roof; poorly enforced safety codes make fatal work accidents a frequent occurrence in Israel

Paramedics arrive at the scene of an accident at Haifa's industrial zone, March 16, 2022. (Magen David Adom)
Paramedics arrive at the scene of an accident at Haifa's industrial zone, March 16, 2022. (Magen David Adom)

A 36-year-old construction worker died Wednesday after falling 6 meters (20 feet) at a construction site in Haifa.

First responding paramedics found the worker lying unconscious with a head injury. After resuscitation efforts failed, they pronounced him dead at the scene.

The worker fell off the roof of a building in Haifa’s industrial zone.

Deaths of construction workers in Israel are a frequent occurrence, largely because of poorly enforced safety codes.

Last month, two men fell to their deaths from the 40th floor of an apartment building under construction in Tel Aviv.

It was the third time in recent years that construction workers had been killed when mechanical scaffolding platforms collapsed.

Haifa’s industrial area. (Avishag Shaar Yashuv/Flash90)

Last week, the cabinet approved a plan to gradually shut down Haifa’s industrial zone, which health officials have warned poses a health hazard. The area includes several major factories, including the country’s largest oil refinery.

The government will adopt the recommendations of a top-level committee of officials that last year recommended that all petrochemical activity in the industrial zone be halted within a decade, at most. Instead, the state will invest NIS billion in new housing projects, eco-friendly jobs, and upgraded public transportation.

Most Popular
read more: