FDNY officials said two workers have been injured following a construction site collapse at Orchard Beach Pavilion on Thursday, July 13. The accident happened at approximately 11:18 a.m.

 

FDNY Chief Kenneth Scanlon, deputy chief of Division 7, said that units responded to reports of two construction workers trapped at the location of the construction site.

“Upon arrival, our Orchard Beach EMS units (87 Paul) encountered two patients who were trapped under a large piece of concrete ceiling, dimensions about 20 by 15 feet, which had fallen upon them.”

 

He continued, “Our fire unit Squad 61, Ladder 61 and Engine 97 responded. They packaged the patients, assisted with medical care, and removed them via Ladder 6’s aerial ladder. Both patients were taken to Jacobi Hospital in serious but stable condition.”

 

In response to what appears to have been a question about whether the beach was shut down, Scanlon said, “So, some people were looking and some people were interested in recording of course, but this didn’t impact people’s days. There were other ways to avoid the the action in front of the building.”

Scanlon confirmed that the accident happened on the top floor of the site. “Luckily, they had helmets on,” he said of the injured workers. He said the site was run by a private construction company.

 

He added that FDNY has, in the summertime, an EMS unit posted on the beach (87 Paul). “They do a wonderful job for us and they take care of any patients we may encounter on the beach,” he said. “As you know, Orchard Beach is quite the distance from the nearest EMS station, so having somebody posted here with the population increased during the summertime, aids us much.”

 

Asked about the scope of the response, Scanlon said, “We had a major technical response, which encompasses a load of units a large number of units. Luckily, we had the patients removed before all of the units were on scene, so we ended up with roughly about 15 units here.”

NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) officials confirmed earlier on Thursday to Norwood News that their team were en route to the location to obtain more information and would provide a further update, once available.

 

They later referred us to their colleagues from NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) who issued the following statement. “The safety of our contractors is a top priority for NYCEDC,” they said. “We are relieved that the workers involved in the incident are in stable condition and wish them a speedy recovery.”

 

EDC officials also provided some additional information on the incident. They said both injured workers had been wearing appropriate safety equipment at the time of the accident and were transported to Jacobi Hospital for further evaluation.

 

They said DOB officials were carrying out their investigation into the incident and that EDC was working with the construction manager, “Gilbane,” to provide a full incident report.

 

District 13 Council Member Marjorie Velázquez, chair of the Council’s Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, and District 18 Council Member Amanda Farías, chair of the Council’s Committee on Economic Development, released a joint statement on Saturday, July 15. A second construction accident was reported in the Throggs Neck section of The Bronx on Saturday morning.

 

“Earlier this week, construction workers on-site at the Orchard Beach Pavilion work site were injured after a ceiling collapse. Emergency responders arrived on the scene, successfully extracting the workers and transported them to Jacobi Medical Center, where they are in stable condition. This unfortunate incident is currently under investigation.”

 

Velázquez went on to say, “Our construction workers are the backbone of our labor force, and they deserve our utmost respect and support. Far too often, preventable workplace accidents occur, especially in the construction industry. As the chair of the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, I believe it is essential that we work to ensure that union workers and trade professionals have access to a safe work environment, as well as the tools and resources they need to be successful.”

 

She added, “My thoughts and prayers are with the construction workers, their families, and friends, and I wish them both a speedy and full recovery.” For her part, Farías said, “The Orchard Beach Pavilion restoration has been a long awaited feat for beachgoers across the City, and Council Member Velázquez and I are keeping the workers affected and their families close to our hearts as they make a speedy recovery.”

 

She added, “As chair of the Committee on Economic Development, it is important to me that all city projects and the workers within them have a safe and just workplace, while understanding the challenging work they are doing everyday. I am looking forward to the continued communication with the NYCEDC and Gilbane, and for a thorough investigation into the cause of the collapse.”

As reported, three building contractors were charged in the first Bronx manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide case following a construction accident in which Ecuadorian immigrant worker, Segundo Manuel Huerta Mayancela, 46, died at 94 East 208th Street in Norwood on Aug. 27, 2019.

 

As reported earlier this week, FDNY officials said, following what was described as a major technical rescue from a Bronx construction site in the Olinville section of the borough, six people suffered injuries, including three who were hospitalized, on Tuesday, July 11, at 3073 Barker Avenue following a partial wall collapse.

Three migrant construction workers in their twenties, one from Ecuador and one with a young family, who were seriously burned following a work place accident / flash fire in the Williamsbridge section of The Bronx have filed a negligence lawsuit against BE Bronx Builders, LLC, Stagg Group, and Mark Stagg, as reported. The accident occurred at 739 East Gun Hill Road, a new building under construction, on Monday, May 15, as reported.

 

In Wakefield, on Tuesday, June 6, as reported, after a worker fell 30 feet from a building site, NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) issued various violations to Stagg Group, which was one of the entities behind the development at that site also.