A 33-year-old construction worker died after the boom lift he was working on made contact with a high-voltage electrical wire at a Chicago construction site. The worker was elevated in a crane at the time of the accident, according to Block Club Chicago. Another was injured but listed in good condition.
A witness at the scene described showed the lift smoking and the base on fire, indicating the lift possibly came in contact with the high-voltage wire. Witnesses also mentioned seeing nearby fences sparking indicating current was flowing through them, as well. Occupants in surrounding buildings reported immediately losing power at the time of the accident.
ComEd crews immediately responded to shut off power in the surrounding area. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was on site investigating the accident.
The building the crew was working on was part of a mixed-use development that included 65 units of affordable housing development in Chicago’s Lawndale neighborhood. The construction company that employed the two workers had no history of violations in the past 10 years.
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
