CHICAGO (June 12, 2024) – After falling from a scaffold located on the University of Chicago Medical Center campus, one construction worker was killed and one was critically injured.
The two steel workers were structuring the iron interior of a new cancer research center in Hyde Park on Thursday morning when they fell nine stories. At the time of the fall, the winds averaged 35-40 miles per hour which may have caused the scaffolding to loosen, CBS reports.
David O’Donnell, a 27-year-old Oak Forest resident, was tragically killed at the scene. O’Donnell’s brother described him as a hard worker and an incredible godfather, CBS reports. The other ironworker, whose identity remain confidential, was critically injured and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Several factors were involved in the severity of the accident. The Fire Department said the workers did not wear safety harnesses and were not tethered in any way. CBS reports they only wore yellow, fluorescent vests. A former U.S. Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) employee Frank Burg said when suspended from scaffolding, workers are required to wear a tethered safety harness.
The safety of the scaffolding is also being questioned due to the windy conditions. Burg stated, “And if that wind is getting so high that it’s going to push that scaffold around, then they shouldn’t be up there. That’s a management responsibility.”
OSHA will investigate the accident and has opened an inspection with New Horizon Steel, one of the workers’ employers. New Horizon Steel issued a statement on Friday saying that the injured worker is expected to recover and offers their condolences to the O’Donnell family.
57th Street between Drexel and Cottage Grove avenues was blocked off Thursday afternoon as authorities investigated and was reopened around 4:30 p.m.
This is the second incident at the Hyde Park site. Two other construction workers were hurt last December when a piece of equipment fell while working at the center.
