Construction worker killed in fall in southern Israel

Paramedics declare man dead at construction site in Netivot after he falls some 5 meters and sustains severe head injury

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By ToI Staff 6 July 2023, 3:18 pm Edit

Illustrative: View of a construction site in the city of Gedera, February 3, 2022. (Yossi Zeliger/Flash90)

A worker was killed at a construction site on Thursday after falling from a height, according to reports.

The man fell around five meters (around 16 feet) on Yahadut Italia Street in the southern town of Netivot.

Paramedics found the 50-year-old man unconscious and without vital signs. He had sustained a severe head injury.

They immediately began performing resuscitation efforts on the worker, and later pronounced him dead at the scene.

Construction site accidents are common in Israel, with watchdog groups complaining of little oversight and dangerous working conditions.

According to a report this week from Kav LaOved, an Israeli nonprofit association that advocates for workers’ rights, more than 40 workers have died in workplace accidents in Israel since the start of 2023, which represents a 40% increase compared to the same period last year.

The report said 47 percent of those fatalities were in the construction industry.

The organization said the construction industry is statistically the most dangerous job sector in Israel. Prosecutions are rare in cases of negligence leading to workplace deaths.