Scaffold Fall Kills Ironworker on Chicago Cancer Center Project | Columbus Ohio Dump Trucks

One ironworker was killed and another critically injured June 6 after they fell from scaffolding at a cancer center under construction at the University of Chicago Medical Center. The accident happened in the city's Hyde Park neighborhood, at the site where the university's $815-million Comprehensive Cancer Center Buildingis being built.

Larry Langford, director of media affairs for the Chicago Fire Dept., which responded to the accident, identified David O’Donnell, 27, of Oak Forest, Ill., as the worker who died at the scene. The other worker, who was not identified, was critically injured and is being treated at the medical center.  

“The accident occurred when wind caused scaffolding to blow away from the building. They [the workers] appeared not to be tethered,” said Langford, adding that winds were clocked at 55 mph at Midway Airport around the time of the noontime accident.  

Langford said the men were working on the exterior of an elevator shaft on the 8^th story on the building's south side. The men fell into a below-ground pit that will become the building’s basement, he added.

Rhonda Burke, deputy director of public affairs for the U.S. Dept. of Labor, said on June 7 that Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors were on the scene. 

She said OSHA has opened investigations into Turner Construction, the general contractor, High-Tech State-Out Inc. (HTSO), employer of O'Donnell, New Horizon Steel of Chicago, the employer of the injured worker, and Adjustable Concrete Construction, the scaffolding erectors, located in Lombard, Ill.

HTSO is a Union local 130 engineering firm specializing in construction layout and engineering problem solving, according to O'Donnell's Linkedin page, which also identified him as president of the company. It could not be confirmed if New Horizon Steel is a union subcontractor.

Project general contractor Turner Construction has halted work, spokesman Chris McFadden said in a statement. “This is an extremely sad day,” he said. “We columbus oh dump truck work extremely hard to prevent days like this and we have halted all construction activity. Grief counseling services will be available to all workers on site to support them."

Tarrah Cooper Wright, CEO of New Horizon Steel, said in a statement that "we are thankful that the New Horizon Steel employee who was injured is reportedly stable and expected to make a full recovery, and we are currently investigating the cause of the incident to ensure something like this never happens again. We are also fully supporting all authorities in their investigations."

Contractors broke ground on the 575,000-sq-ft project in September.

Annemarie Mannion is editor of ENR Midwest, which covers 11 states. She joined ENR in 2022 and reports from Chicago.