A 51-year-old construction worker was recently killed in the Twin Peaks Tunnel in San Francisco when a steel beam fell on him on the job. The construction accident death has led to the call for a hearing of the Board of Supervisors by San Francisco Supervisor Norman Yee. The supervisors will meet regarding the accident when the summer recess ends.
The worker killed was working for Shimmick Construction, which is based out of Oakland. The company told San Francisco on a questionnaire that it did not have any prior serious citations from the state when the bidding process was in motion. The questionnaire was administered by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
According to a spokesperson from Shimmick Construction, the company’s response to the question on the questionnaire was correct. Despite this statement, the company does have incidents on its record from projects in California, including one in Yorba Linda where it received a fine of $67,500 from the California Occupational Safety Hazard Agency (Cal/OSHA).
There was another incident found on the company’s record that occurred in Moorpark, California. This incident led to the death of a forklift driver. The driver wound up being pinned between a dirt wall and the forklift. The company was issued a $48,400 fine. This incident is currently being contested by the construction company.
The project at the Twin Peaks Tunnel has been suspended until further notice and the incident is under investigation by the San Francisco Police and Cal/OSHA.
Construction accidents in California happen more often than you might think. These accidents can lead to tragic injuries and even death. Construction accidents should be reported to a supervisor immediately and all injured parties should be medically evaluated.
