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Electrical Worker Dead After Falling From Bucket Lift At Manhattan Construction Site
By
Emma Whitford
Published Sep 21, 2017
Modified Sep 21, 2017
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Maya Rajamani / DNAInfo
By
Emma Whitford
Published Sep 21, 2017
Modified Sep 21, 2017
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A 45-year-old worker with a Queens-based electrical contractor died Thursday afternoon after falling out of a bucket lift on the third floor level of a mega-tower construction site on the west side of Manhattan, according to a preliminary Department of Buildings investigation.
This marks the second fatality on the 400 West 33rd Street site, also known as One Manhattan West, since June, according to the DOB.
A second worker, also a 45-year-old man, fell from the bucket as well. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition with head and body trauma, according to the NYPD.
"The only comment we have is that we are cooperating with the authorities," said Christine Abreu, director of risk management and compliance at EJ Electric, which employed both men.
Brookfield Properties, which owns the Manhattan West site, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"This afternoon, two workers fell out of a boom lift while it was descending. One worker died on-site and the other is at the hospital," said Tishman Construction spokesman John Gallagher. "We are deeply saddened by this terrible tragedy and we are actively cooperating with all relevant agencies to investigate the matter. There are no further details at this time."
A 62-year-old construction worker, Roger Vail, fell ten stories to his death at the site on June 7th, DNAInfo reports, after the material he was standing on up on the sixteenth floor broke. A stop-work order was issued and subsequently lifted.
There are three open DOB violations on One Manhattan West, including one immediately hazardous violation from June 6th, DOB records show. Tishman owes $1,500 for "failure to safeguard all persons and property affected by construction operations." There are also eight open Environmental Control Board violations.
This second fatality at the Manhattan West development also marked the second construction-related death in Manhattan in less than a day. Thursday morning, a 27-year-old worker fell 27 stories to his death while working on a luxury high-rise development on Maiden Lane near the South Street Seaport. The DOB had issued a stop work order on Wednesday for workers using a crane without permits.
One Manhattan West is planned to rise 67 stories, and is part of Brookfield's planned six-building Manhattan West complex.
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