Sanitation worker suffers injury in street sweeper accident

A New York sanitation worker was lucky to survive a recent on-the-job accident. While working on the streets of New York, the man’s arm became trapped in the street sweeper as he was cleaning up the Bronx neighborhood.

The 50-year-old man, who moonlights as a jazz drummer, said the biggest worry he had at the time he got hurt was weather he’d ever be able to play the drums again.

The jazz musician said to news reporters at the hospital, “I was praying to God that I didn’t lose my arm.” Fortunately, the man may be able to play the drums in the future, provided that he gets the medical attention and appropriate rest required to fully recover from his injuries.

He has suffered nerve damage, however, and this will take time to heal. “There’s no feeling in my whole arm,” he said. Although some feeling has already returned, the musician said that his arm feels like it weighs 50 pounds and the feeling that has returned hurts.

Doctors have informed him that his humerus bone broke when the street sweeper machine sucked his arm into the gears at the intersection of Balcom Ave. and Bruckner Blvd.

The workplace accident happened to a man that has worked as a sanitation worker for the last 19 years. As he was traveling down the road, he saw a discarded truck tire in the way of his machine. First, he tried to kicked the tire out of he way. Then the tire got sucked into the sweeper. He tried to pull the tire out of the machinery, and that’s when his arm got pulled inside.

This story does have a silver lining. The New York sanitation worker may be able to receive workers’ compensation benefits to pay for his medical care and time spent unable to work. These benefits often serve as a financial lifeline to any worker recovering from a serious workplace injury.

Source: New York Daily News, “NYC sanitation worker’s drumming career flashed before his eyes as street sweeper mangled his arm,” Thomas Tracy, Jan. 31, 2018