Friday, January 30, 2015

2 CONSTRUCTION WORKERS INJURED DURING MIAMI HIGH RISE CONSTRUCTION WHEN A RETAINING WALL COLLAPSED ON THEM



2 CONSTRUCTION WORKERS INJURED DURING MIAMI HIGH RISE CONSTRUCTION WHEN A RETAINING WALL COLLAPSED ON THEM








January 28, 2015




MIAMI (WSVN) -- Two construction workers were injured during construction of a high-rise building in Downtown Miami, Wednesday.




The two men, who are in their 20s, were working on the 26th floor of the Met 3 building at 200 S.E. 3rd Ave. when a retaining wall collapsed on them. Officials said the first calls for help came in around 10:30 a.m.




According to Miami Fire Rescue, the concrete retaining wall came loose and fell on top of the workers, trapping one of them and injuring the other. Several other construction workers were able to free the men from the rubble.




Miami Fire Rescue then lowered the men down to the 23rd floor where they used an elevator to safely get them to the ground floor. "Some of the challenges when we deal with construction sites is that a lot of the floors are not completed where workers are working on," said Miami Fire Rescue Capt. Ignatius Carroll, "so we end up having to use ladders or even makeshift stairs that they use to get up to those floors. We had to use a Stokes basket and ropes to lower them down to the 23rd floor where we were able to bring them down on the elevator."




Both workers were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.




Construction managers said they are taking a close look at safety protocol on the site. They added they do not know what caused the retaining wall to collapse.




The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified of the incident and is expected to issue a report.