Construction worker killed by fall at Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama

Updated Jul 27, 2015

A worker on a crew building a new facility at an Alabama Mercedes-Benz plant fell to his death Wednesday.

According to a report from Al.com, 53-year-old Jeffery G. Merchant was working atop the metal roof of a new Hazmat building under construction at the automaker’s plant in Vance, near Birmingham.

The worker fell about 25 feet onto a concrete slab. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of the fall is under investigation by the Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, with hundreds of workers dying each year and thousands more facing serious injuries.