Two construction workers killed in separate accidents
The deaths of the two men, who were crushed by heavy objects at work sites, brings number of dead in such mishaps in 2019 to 45
Two construction workers were killed in separate accidents Thursday, the latest in a spate of construction-related deaths.
In the town of Be’er Ya’akov, south of Tel Aviv, a 29-year-old man was crushed under a large metal frame. He was critically wounded and Magen David Adom paramedics were unable to save him.
In Bnei Dekalim in southern Israel, a 28-year-old was crushed by a concrete wall that fell on him at a construction site. He was pulled out by other workers and paramedics attempted to treat him but were forced to declare him dead at the scene.
Police were investigating both accidents.
The deaths brought the number of construction workers killed in 2019 to 45.
Deaths of construction workers in Israel are a frequent occurrence, largely because of poorly enforced safety codes, according to critics.
In June, figures released under Freedom of Information laws showed that police have opened criminal investigations in only 25 percent of job site accidents that led to deaths or severe injuries of workers in 2016-2018.
Responding to the rise in worksite accidents in recent years, police established a special unit called Peles at the end of 2018 — under the aegis of its serious crimes unit Lahav 433 — that specializes in accident investigation.
However, Haaretz reported in June that the unit had only opened investigations into three of the 38 deadly work accidents that occurred in the first five months of 2019.
The Times of Israel Community.