Thursday, June 11, 2015

1 worker has killed and another was injured in a construction accident in Somerville, Mass.when a temp elevator crushed the workers.

 JUNE 11, 2015

SOMERVILLE, MASS. (CBS)

One worker has died and another was injured in a construction accident in Somerville Thursday afternoon. 

The workers were installing a temporary elevator on the exterior of a Partners HealthCare building under construction at Assembly Row. The elevator somehow broke away from the building and crashed to the ground. 


Two workers were seriously hurt in a construction accident in Somerville (WBZ-TV))
Two workers were seriously hurt in a construction accident in Somerville (WBZ-TV))


“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the two workers who were involved in today’s accident,” said Kim Steimle Vaughan, a spokeswoman for the contractor, Suffolk Construction. “This afternoon, during the assembly of external hoists on the building, a hoist cab unexpectedly pulled away and two workers were injured, one fatally.” 

One of the men was an iron-worker, the other worked for a company installing the elevator. They have not been identified.


Two workers were seriously injured in a construction accident in Somerville (WBZ-TV)
Two workers were seriously injured in a construction accident in Somerville (WBZ-TV)


Vaughn says the proper safety protocol was being followed at the time of the accident, but it is under investigation. “We are working closely with OSHA and are investigating the cause of this incident,” she said. 

All work was halted at the site after the accident.