The work of constructing, inspecting, repairing and maintaining institutional and commercial facilities might seem routine, but as maintenance and engineering managers know, the many tasks involved in ensuring the safe and reliable construction and operation of buildings present workers with many risks, from electrocution to falls.
A worker on the 14th floor at the former AT&T building in downtown Kansas City fell to his death recently, according to The Kansas City Star. The man was working for a temp agency when he fell to the bottom of an elevator shaft. A spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department, said officers responded just before 1:30 a.m. and found the man unresponsive. A preliminary investigation indicates his death was accidental.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation, according to Rhonda Burke, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Labor. The case is open with three companies: Temp agency Infinity Resources Enterprises, which was performing asbestos abatement work under contract with New Horizons LLC, as well as the building’s owner, The Bernstein Companies.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor of the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
