The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into a construction accident in Madison that left a worker seriously injured.
An OSHA spokesperson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Feb. 4 that the agency has six months to complete the investigation and will not share additional information during that time.
The worker, identified by family and fellow Ironworkers Local 383 members as Dakota Chamblee, broke several bones and is recovering in a Madison hospital. A GoFundMe has raised $20,000 and counting to support Chamblee.
“He is a solid young dude and hard worker and deserves our help. I’m not sure how long the road to recovery will be, but I would assume he will be out of work for a while,” wrote union member Caleb Murray, who launched the fundraiser.
Chamblee fell about 50 feet at a Findorff construction site on Madison’s Capitol Square Jan. 31 when a construction crane dropped a beam weighing at least 20,000 pounds. Murray said Chamblee was making a beam connection when he fell.
According to a Feb. 4 statement from Findorff, Chamblee is “recovering well.”
“The outpouring of community support has been uplifting for those involved in Saturday’s incident,” a spokesperson said. “Our highest priority is the health and safety of our employees and everyone on our job sites, and we continue to work closely with local authorities and safety officials, including individuals from OSHA, to review the incident.”
Not all OSHA investigations involve an on-site inspection. OSHA might first call the employer, who can provide a written response with planned corrective actions. If an inspector ultimately finds violations of OSHA standards, the business could face citations or fines.
Findorff said authorities have deemed the site safe and work has resumed away from the incident location.
The construction site is the home of the future Wisconsin History Center, which is replacing the former state historical museum across from the state Capitol.
A spokesperson for the Wisconsin Historical Society, which is leading the project, said “we care very deeply about the welfare and safety of the contractors supporting our projects, and we were relieved to hear that the crew member is in stable condition.”
Hope Karnopp can be reached at usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: OSHA opens investigation into beam accident at Madison construction site
Reporting by Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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