Tragedy and injury were avoided on the construction site at the World Trade Center after a crane dropped metal beams from 40 stories, damaging a flatbed truck.

The accident occurred Thursday morning when a cable broke that was carrying the metal beams to the upper floors of the building. Firefighters at the scene were inspecting the load and the cable and reported that the cable snapped and dropped the beams onto the truck. Luckily, no one was seriously injured in the accident.

Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the fire and building departments, along with the Port Authority, will be looking into the incident.

There has been an increase in accidents involving cranes on construction sites and thankfully this accident didn't hurt any workers or bystanders. While the construction industry in New York is thriving, workers need to make sure that they understand the risks that they may be taking working at these sites and be informed of their rights if they do become injured while working.

If you are involved in a construction accident, the aftermath of a tragedy is when you or your loved ones are most vulnerable and need to make decisions about the future. A dedicated attorney specializing in workers' compensation could be your advocate during this tough time. The attorney can take the lead when dealing with the insurance companies, their adjusters and lawyers.

While OSHA's job is to investigate and determine the cause of accidents, they aren't on construction sites daily to ensure that all safety precautions are in place at a job site. Workers will need to continue to take an active role in preventing injury and know what to do if they are injured on the job.

Source: Centredaily.com, "Crane drops steel 40 stories at Trade Center site," Feb. 16, 2012