Construction worker, 68, falls to his death from crane in Ashkelon
A construction worker fell to his death from a crane on Monday in Ashkelon, in…
A construction worker fell to his death from a crane on Monday in Ashkelon, in what a lobby group said was the 12th death in the building industry since the start of the year.
The man, 68, plunged 10 meters (some 33 feet) at a site in Ir Hayayin, a new neighborhood under construction in the southern port city.
He was apparently climbing the crane on the 10th story of the building when he fell.
Magen David Adom first responders who arrived said they found the man unconscious on the 10th floor of the construction site with multiple injuries and showing no vital signs. They declared him dead at the scene.
Police opened an investigation.
It was the second death in the new neighborhood since the start of the year, the local branch of the Kan public broadcaster reported, following the death in January of another construction worker, aged 40.
The latest fatality was reportedly an employee of the Danya Cebus construction company.
According to the Safe Work in Israel non-government lobby group, it is the third worker death in the company since the beginning of last year.
Danya Cebus said in a statement it was “pained and stunned by the tragic death,” though it asserted that it is diligent in maintaining safety standards, Haaretz reported. The company said it would check how the accident happened.
So far, 24 people have been killed in workplace accidents in 2022, half of them in the construction industry, SWI said in a statement, accusing the ministries of economy and industry of standing by instead of advancing safety reforms, including broadening safety responsibilities at construction sites.
The group said there has been a 50 percent increase in construction worker deaths in January-April, when compared to the same period in 2021. In general, workplace accidents have increased by 30% during the first four months of this year when compared to the same period in 2021, SWI said.
