4 iron workers injured in construction accident in West Loop; the steel beam's bolts seared off causing the workers on the beam to fall approx. 14 to 30 feet
The accident happened about 9:05 a.m. at Canal and Lake streets in the West Loop. A fourth person was injured by falling debris.
Scott Allen, a spokesman for the Occupational Safety & Heath Administration, said two bolts sheared off and the beam the workers were on collapsed.
"It appears that the three employees were performing steel erection while standing on the beam they had just connected and they were using what we call two-bolt connection system," Allen said. "It appears the two bolts sheared off, causing the beam and three employees to fall between 14 and 20 feet."
The workers had required fall protection in place, Allen said. The workers were tied to the beam and safety nets were positioned below.
At least one of the workers tumbled from the beam into a hole 10 feet deep and had to be removed in a basket lifted by a crane at the site, fire officials said. Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner Mark Nielsen said he thinks that worker was on the beam when it collapsed.
Two workers were taken in serious-to-critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, another in serious-to-critical was taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County and the fourth, in fair-to-serious condition, was transported to Rush University Medical Center.
Nielsen said iron workers secured the collapsed steel before firefighters got to the scene.
"That's one of our primary concerns before we put our guys into the area is whether or not it's structurally sound, and it had been secured," he said. "We're gonna shut down the operation for now, at least in this area, until OSHA gets here and they'll make a determination of what went wrong."
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Four Hurt In Construction Accident
December 29, 2014 9:46 AM
Updated 12/29/14 – 2:38 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) – Four construction workers were injured Monday morning in an accident at a building site along the Chicago River, just west of downtown.
Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner Mark Nielsen said, shortly after 9 a.m., a steel I-beam collapsed at a construction site for River Point, a 52-story skyscraper at the northeast corner of Lake and Canal streets, on the west bank of the Chicago River.
Officials with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said three ironworkers were erecting a steel beam, using a standard two-bolt connection system, when two bolts on the beam on which they were standing gave way, and the beam fell 14 to 20 feet. The employees had been secured to the beam, as required, and a safety net had been placed under the beam.
A fourth worker on the ground was struck by debris from the collapse.
The three workers who fell ended up several feet below street level, and firefighters had to lift them out to get them to ambulances.
“The last victim took a little bit of time. He was below grade, and when the rescue squad company got here, they had to package him properly. They provided ALS [advanced life support] care, started an IV, and took good care of him, and they took him out in a Stokes basket,” Nielsen said.
All four workers were conscious when they were taken to hospitals — three of them in serious condition.
OSHA said it appeared two bolts sheared off the beam, causing it to fall.
OSHA investigators were at the site Monday afternoon, and have cordoned off the area where the accident occurred, and halted construction in that area while they look into the accident. Work was allowed to continue at other parts of the construction site.
It was unclear how long OSHA’s investigation would take, but the agency has six months to complete its probe.
Firefighters
respond to a construction accident at Lake and Canal streets, after a
steel beam collapsed, injuring four people. (Credit: Chicago Fire
Department)