Saturday, September 24, 2016

The death of a construction worker who fell from a building Friday morning in the Wicker Park neighborhood has been ruled an accident





Sun-Times Media Wire
Saturday, September 24, 2016 04:29PM
CHICAGO -- The death of a construction worker from the northwest suburbs who fell from a building Friday morning in the Wicker Park neighborhood has been ruled an accident.

Officers were called to the 1600 block of West Division about 9:15 a.m. for what was initially thought to be a traffic crash, according to Chicago Police.

When they arrived, they discovered 54-year-old James Thiel had actually fallen from the third floor of a building where he had been working, according to police and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

Thiel was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he later died, authorities said. He lived in the 5900 block of Crosswind Court in Johnsburg.

An autopsy Saturday found Thiel died of multiple injuries resulting from a fall from height and his death was ruled an accident, the medical examiner's office said.

OSHA will investigate and will most likely fine the employer for lack of safety procedures.  The worker should have been supplied with safety harness.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire - Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2016.)