A New York construction worker was killed in a downtown Syracuse construction site accident Wednesday. The 25-year-old Liverpool resident was working on a demolition project in the Snow Building when the ceiling collapsed, severely injuring the worker. The debris came cascading down on top of the worker, causing severe head trauma.

Rescuers performed emergency CPR at the construction site accident before an ambulance could arrive. The construction worker, who was wearing a hard hat when the construction accident occurred, was reportedly bleeding profusely in the aftermath of the accident. Doctors pronounced the worker dead at Upstate University Hospital roughly 55 minutes after the ceiling collapsed.

Authorities say that the worker was taking down part of the concrete-and-lathe ceiling during the renovation project on a ninth floor office at the Snow building when the unstable ceiling gave way. The worker was working on a ladder, taking down a section of the ceiling that measured roughly 15 feet by 15 feet.

The city fire department says that only one section of the ceiling was unstable, apparently the section the construction worker was tending to. The construction site accident occurred on the ninth floor. The building remained occupied after the accident.

Syracuse police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are each investigating the fatal construction accident. Authorities say that the company performing the work has proper permits for the project.

New York and New Jersey construction accident attorneys know that construction projects can expose workers to a high risk for head injuries. Many head injuries occur during fall accidents. However, falls are not the only hazards a worker can experience, as the New York accident highlights. The construction industry has the highest risk for work-related brain injuries and fatal accidents than any other industry in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source: The Post-Standard via Syracuse.com "Liverpool construction worker dies after unstable piece of ceiling collapses, falls on him in downtown Syracuse office building," Robert A. Baker, Jan. 25, 2012