Two Workers Fall Off Manhattan Bridge Yesterday; One Dead, One Injured
Wednesday afternoon, two men who were working on the Manhattan bridge fell at separate times, one of the falls resulting in a fatality. The worker who lost his life was only 37 years old.
Both workers were part of a 10-person crew, and though they were wearing safety harnesses, they were required to unhook and reattach themselves to change position. While doing so, the 37-year-old man lost his footing and tragically fell to his death at around 2 p.m.
Roughly an hour later, a second worker fell from the bridge and onto a nearby building. Though the worker was injured, he survived and was sent to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.
Both workers were employed by Champion Specialty Services, which is a subcontractor for Skanska. Skanska was hired by the Department of Transportation to work on the Manhattan Bridge.
Of the incident, city Transportation Department spokesman Seth Stein said, “This is a terrible tragedy and the victim’s family and friends are in our thoughts. It is too soon to determine what led to this incident with our contractor.”
The Investigation
The investigation into the cause of these accidents is ongoing. The power has been shut down on the bridge’s subway lines, which caused delays on the B/D/N/Q/W lines. Tragically, this was not the first construction accident to occur in New York City this year. These accidents are, unfortunately, not rare. Often, these accidents are caused by OSHA violations, negligent supervisors, unsafe property conditions, and defective machinery/tools. Each of these factors will likely be considered when determining the cause of this devastating accident.
