A recent event at a high-profile construction site underscores the safety that should be taken by employers in Ohio to ensure the protection of their employees. Recently at the site where the World Trade Center is being rebuilt, almost 20 tons of steel fell 40 stories. The construction accident luckily did not cause any injuries, but could have been incredibly damaging to anyone unlucky enough to be in the falling steel’s path.
When the steel fell it was being held by a crane. The cable snapped and three 62-feet beams fell to the ground, landing directly on a flatbed truck.
A 24-year-old ironworker from Staten Island said that he heard the crash and saw the loose cable coming down. According to him, the cable looked like a snake.
Reports indicate that the accident happened at Four World Trade Center around 10 a.m. This location is the southern-most tower of the World Trade Center complex.
A spokesman with the contractor for the building said that the area where the accident happened is not open to the public. The enclosed section of the site may have been one of the better places for this accident to occur.
Only one person was examined by medical workers at the scene. That person was released after being checked over, according to the authorities.
Investigations into the incident are being conducted by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as well as other city agencies. According to the spokesman with the company, the contractor plans to fully cooperate during this process.
Source: Wall Street Journal, “Construction Accident Shakes World Trade Center,” Sean Gardiner, James Campbell and Aaron Rutkoff, Feb. 16, 2012