Death to renovate: 53-year-old fatally crashes from balcony in St. Martin

Death to renovate: 53-year-old fatally crashes from balcony in St. Martin

Sankt Martin im Sulmtal, Österreich - A tragic accident occurred on June 1, 2025 in Sankt Martin in the Sulmtal when a 53-year-old man from the district of Deutschlandsberg died in renovation work on an agricultural estate. The man worked alone on the family home and was on a balcony that was without mounted railings. Around 12.40 p.m. family members discovered him motionless on the lawn below the balcony. Despite the rapidly initiated first aid measures and the use of an emergency doctor team, only the death of the man could be determined. Relatives are now supervised by the state of Styria by the crisis intervention team. This reports FireWorld .

accidents like this are unfortunately not uncommon for construction work. According to the workers' inspection, there is an increased risk of injuries and occupational diseases, in particular due to changing working environments and dangers such as weather conditions and geological risks. Above all, work that takes place in dangerous areas require careful danger assessment and the implementation of technical security measures. The construction workers protection regulation regulates the requirements and security precautions in construction to minimize the risk of workers. For example, fall protection is viewed as an essential measure to prevent serious and fatal accidents.

The importance of fall protection

fall protection are crucial because they serve to prevent the case of workers and materials. This applies particularly to work assignments in high places where there is a fall height of over two meters. The basic requirements include sustainable covers of openings and defenses that consist of stable materials and have to meet higher requirements. According to workers inspection should be at least 1.00 meters above the stand and should be designed in such a way that they can withstand certain forces.

It is also particularly important to install protective devices, such as fishing scaffolding or collecting nets if crash protection is not possible. These must be securely attached to sustainable constructions and the regulations for mesh size must be strictly observed.

precautionary measures and responsibility

The need for additional security precautions is dealt with in the regular training and information material for construction workers, which are provided by the Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection. Unfortunately, it is often determined that protection during renovation work is neglected. The tragic event in Sankt Martin in the Sulmtal illustrates the urgent need to follow the security standards during construction work to save lives and prevent accidents.

For all construction work, including the construction of photovoltaic systems, it is important to take into account the construction site equipment thoroughly from the start. This is the only way to reduce the risk for workers, as well as the current guidelines for construction work, to ensure security on construction sites, according to the information from Workers inspection .