A third worker died while on the job at the sprawling, 21-mile-long I-4 Ultimate in Orlando. Michael Tolman, 56, an ironworker with Shelby Erectors, a project subcontractor, died March 8 after being struck.
According to the Orlando Police Dept.’s report, the accident occurred while Tolman was working near the on ramp to Interstate 4 at South Street. The 911 dispatcher noted reports that “someone has been crushed” by a piece of equipment. The report further stated that a “cage fell on [the] employee” and that Tolman was not awake but still breathing.
In response, SGL Constructors temporarily shut down work along the entirety of the 21-mile-long reconstruction project. SGL is the joint venture of Skanska, Granite Construction and Lane Construction rebuilding Orlando’s stretch of I-4.
Brook Brookshire, SGL’s project director, issued a statement on March 9, saying, “We will be reviewing the safety protocols that are in place, and we will take all appropriate action following the investigation to ensure the utmost safety.”
On March 16, SGL stated that work had resumed on the sprawling project, which is being delivered via a design-build-finance-operate-maintain contract.
The previous two fatalities, which occurred in 2016, also involved workers being struck. The first occurred in early 2016, when 34-year-old Marvin Franklin, wearing earbuds, exited a portable restroom and walked in front of a subcontractor truck that was backing up.
In December 2016, 59-year-old Curtis Popkey was killed when he ventured too close to a load being offloaded and a piece of steel fell and struck him.
Noting that its investigation was ongoing, on March 16, SGL added that “After a comprehensive review of our safety management … we have upgraded our protocols and confirmed that we have a safe work plan in place.”
SGL would not provide further details to ENR about changes to the project’s safety plan.
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Another worker killed in struck-by incident on Florida's $2.3B I-4 project
An ironworker on the $2.3 billion Interstate 4 Ultimate highway expansion project in Orlando, Florida, died earlier this month after a rebar cage fell and struck him, according to WKMG News 6.
Michael Tolman, age 56, an employee of subcontractor Shelby Erectors, was working near one of the freeway ramps when the cage fell on him, according to Engineering News-Record. Construction stopped along the entire 21-mile length of the project while law enforcement investigated the incident and while SGL Constructors – the private-public joint venture between Skanska USA, Granite Construction and Lane Construction – reviewed its safety procedures. Work resumed four days later, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
This is the third struck-by fatality on the I-4 project. In 2016, one worker was hit by a truck and another died after being struck by a piece of falling steel.
According to OSHA records, the agency cited SGL with a serious violation in relation to the first fatal incident with the truck and fined the joint venture $12,471 for exposing employees to struck-by hazards. An investigation by WESH found that SGL, as part of its notice of a corrective action plan to OSHA, said it had created a new internal traffic control plan, revised its heavy-equipment backup plan and put a renewed emphasis on the use of spotters.
OSHA has prioritized the reduction of struck-by injuries and deaths by making this type of accident part of its Focus Four initiative. OSHA categorizes struck-by hazards as falling, flying, swinging and rolling, and offers common-sense advice as to how to avoid being injured, such as never positioning oneself between moving and stationary objects, staying alert to vehicles on the project site and wearing high-visibility clothing.
According to an August report from the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), struck-by incidents are on the rise. In fact, the center found that more than 800 U.S. construction workers died in struck-by incidents from 2011 to 2015, which is a rate higher than any other industry.
The CPWR said that 52% of deaths involved flying or falling objects and equipment. Nearly 60% of vehicle-related accidents happened in work zones, so highway maintenance workers had the highest rate of deadly struck-by incidents. Also, workers 65 years and older had an increased risk of being killed in a struck-by event.
As for nonfatal struck-by injuries, the construction industry had almost twice the number as all other industries combined.
Even the best of general contractor-instituted safety programs won't be as effective as they could be if subcontractors don't buy into it. To that end, many general contractors typically require subcontractors, particularly on large projects, to submit site-specific safety plans. These plans, according to Grading and Excavation Contractor Magazine, include how a subcontractor will carry out its scope of work, how it will manage its sub-subcontractors, emergency and disciplinary action plans and a thorough job hazard analysis.
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I-4 Ultimate worker struck by rebar, killed in Orlando
Victim identified as 56-year-old Michael Tolman
By Daniel Dahm - Digital Manager
March 08, 2018
ORLANDO, Fla. - An I-4 Ultimate construction worker has died after a cap cage, a structure made of rebar, fell and struck him in Orlando, officials said.
SGL, the company operating the project on Interstate 4, said Michael Tolman, 56, died after being struck around 9:45 a.m. Thursday at an I-4 west on-ramp at South Street near the Amway Center.
Tolman was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition and later died, officials said.
A cap cage is essentially the skeleton of whatever is being built. A steel cage is constructed, wood is placed around it to make a mold and concrete is poured into it.
SGL released a statement about the incident.
"We are deeply saddened to report that Michael Tolman, 56, of the Orlando area, died this morning as a result of an incident that occurred at approximately 10 a.m. (Thursday) on the I-4 Ultimate construction site in Central Florida. Mr. Tolman, who was an ironworker for Shelby Erectors, suffered critical injuries when he was struck by reinforcing steel.
"Our focus right now is on the family and friends of Mr. Tolman, as well as on the investigation of the accident.
"The cause of the accident is not known at this time. We will conduct an investigation in partnership with local authorities.
"We are supporting individuals and families as they deal with this tragic event. We want to thank the police, fire and local EMS for their rapid response.
"The incident occurred in the downtown Orlando area. Work across the entire 21-mile jobsite has been temporarily suspended."
The rebar was seen left dangling by a crane at an angle.
Orlando police taped off the construction site and interviewed witnesses. Some construction crew members were visibly upset after the accident.
A witness said it was windy when crews were trying to move the rebar, but it is unknown whether that played a factor in the incident.
News 6 attempted to contact Tolman’s employer, but has not heard back.
OSHA is investigating. Officials said they are in the preliminary stages of their investigation.
I-4 Ultimate is a $2 billion, at least six-year project that will transform a 21-mile stretch of the highway from Kirkman Road to State Road 434. The project began in 2015.
No other details have been released.
