Worker dies, another critically hurt after falling 9 stories at Chicago construction site
CHICAGO (CBS) — One construction worker was killed, and another was critically injured after falling nine stories from a scaffold in Hyde Park on Thursday.
The accident happened around noon at a construction site on the University Of Chicago Medical Center campus at East 57th Street and South Drexel Avenue. The workers were iron workers employed by New Horizon Steel.
According to the Chicago fire officials, the workers fell from the scaffolding of a concrete structure on the upper floors after the wind caused it to become loose. A fire department spokesperson said wind might have been a factor in the accident. The nearest weather station at Midway Airport reported wind gusts of about 33 miles per hour around the time of the fall.
One of the workers died at the scene. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office identified the man as David O'Donnell, 27, of Oak Forest.
The second worker was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center nearby in critical condition. His name and age were not released.
The Fire Department spokesperson said the men were not wearing any safety harnesses or tethered in any way. They only had on yellow, fluorescent vests. CBS 2 cameras spotted the scaffolding swaying in the wind after the accident. Crews were seen trying to secure the scaffolding again.
A person recorded video of the moments construction workers outside of the site looked up at the building shortly after their colleagues fell. Several workers told CBS 2 off-camera that they were deeply saddened and traumatized by what happened.
"This should never, ever happen," said construction safety expert Frank Burg.
Burg, a former U.S. Occupation Safety and Health Administration employee, said when suspended from scaffolding, workers are required to wear a tethered safety harness.
"So no matter what happens to that scaffold—if it falls, or blows around in the wind, or whatever happens—the worker is still going to be safe, at least safe in a harness," said Burg.
Also of concern, Burg said, is whether the scaffold was safe to have up in such windy conditions.
"Well, that's another question about the wind, and using a velometer, and testing the wind—and if that wind is getting so high that it's going to push that scaffold around, then they shouldn't be up there," said Burg. "That's a management responsibility."
OSHA said it will investigate the accident. The agency only opened an inspection with the employer of one of the two workers, New Horizon Steel.
OSHA has no history with Turner Construction, the general contractor for the project, in Illinois.
OSHA standards state, "Work on or from scaffolds is prohibited during storms or high winds unless a competent person has determined that it is safe for employees to be on the scaffold and those employees are protected by a personal fall arrest system."
The agency also says workers who are 6 feet or more above lower levels "are at risk for serious injury or death if they should fall." It also says employers must provide fall protection and proper equipment for the job.
Turner Construction, said in a statement, "This is an extremely sad day. Our hearts are broken, and we extend our thoughts and prayers to their family members, friends, and colleagues at this extremely difficult time. The safety and wellbeing of everyone on our sites is so important to us. We work extremely hard to prevent days like this and we have halted all construction activity. Grief counseling services will be available to all workers on site to support them in the difficult days and weeks ahead."
New Horizon Steel issued a statement Friday afternoon, indicating that the other employee who survived the fall is expected to recover.
"At New Horizon Steel, the safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority. We are devastated by the incident that took place and the tragic loss of life of an employee on the project, who was not employed by New Horizon Steel but by another contractor," the statement said. "We are thankful that the New Horizon Steel employee who was also injured is reportedly stable and expected to make a full recovery, and we are currently investigating the cause of the incident to ensure something like this never happens again. We are also fully supporting all authorities in their investigations."
Construction worker killed in accident remembered for "fierce passion"
David O'Donnell attended Oak Forest High School. His brother described him as a hard worker and an incredible godfather.
"He best exemplified what our family stood for—which was loyalty to each other, and a fierce passion about what drove you," said Brendan O'Donnell.
Brendan O'Donnell said his younger brother was a technical engineer, just like his dad—and their safety has always been a concern.
"I'm very familiar with their area of work, and that's always something that's always maybe in the back of mind," said Brendan O'Donnell. "I always worry about their safety."
He concurred with the assessment that there may have been safety concerns specifically in this case.
"Any sort of conditions that put the workers at some sort of safety disadvantage is something always to think about," said Brendan O'Donnell.
Not the first construction accident at same Hyde Park site
Last December, two other construction workers with Turner Construction Company were also hurt while working at the center when a piece of equipment fell at the site. Information about the accident at the time was not released.
The new seven-story, 575,000 square-foot cancer care and research pavilion is being built on 57th Street between Maryland and Drexel avenues on the University of Chicago Medical Center campus. A $20 million grant was awarded to the project in December.
The facility is expected to open in 2027. Once completed, the $815 million center will have 80 private beds, 90 exam rooms, a breast cancer center, and dedicated clinical trial spaces. It will have capacity for up to 200,000 outpatient visits and 5,000 inpatient admissions per year.
