A second man died at the Fortis Place construction site Thursday afternoon, The Telegram has learned.
A construction worker died of what is believed to be health-related causes, said Hugh Donnan, a spokesman for Service NL — the government department which oversees Occupational Health and Safety. The coroner has yet to determine the official cause of death, he said.
This is in addition to the 61-year-old construction worker who fell six storeys from the building shortly before 4 p.m. There were high winds and rain at the time. It appeared the man had fallen through a wooden barrier at the top of the building.
An RNC spokesman told The Telegram he’s not aware of any ongoing police investigation into the accident, and the file has been turned over to Occupational Health and Safety.
Donnan said a stop-work order has been issued for the site, located at the corner of Springdale and New Gower streets in St. John’s.
“Not because of any violation that we’re aware of, but so we can have a proper look at the site,” he explained. Two OHS officers attended the scene Thursday afternoon along with police and rescue personnel, he said.
“There’s not much more I can say,” he continued. “We don’t know at this point if all procedures were followed or if this is something that may end up in the courts.”
•••
Police have handed the case of a man who fell to his death on a construction site in St. John’s Thursday over to Occupational Health and Safety.
A 61-year-old construction worker fell six storeys from the Fortis Place building at the corner of Springdale and New Gower streets shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday. There were high winds and rain at the time.
It appeared the man had fallen through a wooden barrier at the top of the building.
An RNC spokesman told The Telegram he’s not aware of any ongoing police investigation into the accident, and the file has been turned over to Occupational Health and Safety.
Hugh Donnan, spokesman for Service NL — the government department which oversees Occupational Health and Safety — said a stop-work order has been issued for the site.
“Not because of any violation that we’re aware of, but so we can have a proper look at the site,” he explained. Two OHS officers attended the scene Thursday afternoon along with police and rescue personnel, he said.
“There’s not much more I can say,” he continued. “We don’t know at this point if all procedures were followed or if this is something that may end up in the courts.”
•••
Police investigators were still on the scene of an industrial accident in downtown St. John’s early Thursday evening, where one construction worker died.
It appears the worker fell six storeys (about 80 feet) from the top of the Fortis Place building, under construction at the corner of Springdale and New Gower Streets.
An ambulance had arrived at the scene, but left shortly afterwards.
Members of St. John’s Regional Fire Department were preparing to move the body, which was covered by a green tarp on the concrete floor at the bottom of the building. Six storeys up, a break in a wooden railing going around the edge of the building, was being examined by police investigators.
Other workers were huddled at the edge of the construction site.
St. John’s Regional Fire Department superintendent Don Byrne did not confirm the fatality to members of the media, but said there had been an industrial accident that is under investigation.
Later Thursday evening, the RNC issued a statement saying it was working with Occupational Health and Safety to determine the cause of the accident.
tbradbury@thetelegram.com
Twitter: @tara_bradbury
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
To Met....Are you saying another person has died yesterday from the same job site? Sad day. Condolences to all grieving family members.