Steel Worker Falls At Construction Site Of New Facebook Building
MENLO PARK (CBS SF) – A steel worker was injured Tuesday morning after falling at the construction site of a new Facebook building in Menlo Park, fire officials said.
According to Menlo Park Fire Protection District officials, at 8:35 a.m. firefighters responded to a report of an injured worker at Facebook's new building 21, which is under construction.
The worker was on a steel frame on the fourth floor when a piece of decking or steel he stepped on partially dislodged and he fell 10 to 15 feet to the third floor. His safety harness and rigging stopped his descent before he made contact with the third floor, fire officials said.
Fellow steel workers quickly assisted the victim by unclipping him from his safety rigging, and put him on the floor. The victim suffered significant pain, bruising and abrasions, fire officials said.
Paramedics and fire crews arrived and lowered the man down from the third floor. He was taken to Stanford Hospital.
"Fortunately, the steel worker was wearing his safety harness and rigging, which probably helped to prevent significant injury or even death," Menlo Park Fire Protection District Chief Harold Schapelhouman said in a statement.
Cal/OSHA officials will investigate this accident, fire officials said.
This is the second time this year that a worker has been injured at this construction site. On April 26, two iron workers at the building were about 40 feet above the ground when the steel beam they were standing on and attached to suddenly dropped 20 feet.
Both workers, who were wearing safety harnesses that stopped their descent, suffered puncture wounds and significant pain to their lower extremities, fire officials said.
In the released statement, Schapelhouman said of the two separate incidents, "That's not only very unusual, but it deeply concerns me."
KPIX 5 reached out to the contractor Schuff steel and to Facebook, but the companies have not responded to our request for comment.
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