An accident claimed the life of a worker early Monday morning at the construction site of the new stadium that will house the 49ers. Authorities say that a Vacaville, California, man who was delivering rebar to the site was killed in an accident around 7:00 Monday morning. Early indications say that the man was crushed under a load of rebar that he was delivering. The man worked for a subcontractor on the construction project, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Few details about what may have gone wrong have been reported as workplace safety investigators continue to investigate the fatal accident. The worker was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The fatal accident is the second reported fatality at the construction site. In June we discussed the accident that claimed the life of an elevator technician at the stadium construction project.
Investigators from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health have opened a probe into the most recent worksite fatality. Cal-OSHA investigations can take up to six months to complete.
A similar probe was opened after the fatal accident in June. Investigators say that the June accident remains somewhat of a mystery. No witnesses saw that accident. An experienced elevator technician was killed when he was struck by an elevator counterweight while the man worked in an elevator shaft.
In June, state officials closed down construction at the site for two days while investigators looked into the incident. Monday, officials again halted construction. But, officials gave the green light for construction to resume Tuesday.
Construction accidents may come in a variety of forms as the two tragedies at the stadium site highlight. Workers performing tasks onsite, as well as delivery personnel arriving at a site to unload project materials can be placed in harm’s way. Learning the details about what has caused an accident is not only vital to safety for workers in the future, but also vitally important for the families of the accident victims.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Worker killed at 49ers stadium construction site in Santa Clara,” Joseph Serna, Oct. 14, 2013
