1 Killed, 1 Injured in Massachusetts Construction Lift Collapse

By Aaron Poehler

Published on October 31, 2008

A construction worker was killed and another seriously injured when a hydraulic lift platform became unstable and toppled to the ground on the campus of AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals in Waltham, Massachusetts.

In a statement issued by Waltham Police, the deceased worker was identified as 40 year-old Peter Marchese of Nashua, New Hampshire. The name of the injured worker was not released, although his age was given as 30. The injured man was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for treatment; his injuries were described as potentially fatal. Both men were employed by Lymo Construction of Merrimac, New Hampshire.

According to reports, at the time of the incident the two men were working in the basket of the hydraulic construction lift, engaged in the process of installing metal panels on a building located on AstraZeneca's campus. Due to unknown reasons, the lift destabilized and tipped over, plunging both men over 30 feet to the ground below.

Construction at the site was halted for the day in the wake of the fatal accident. An AstraZeneca spokesman expressed the company's condolences to the families of the workers and noted that the project's prior safety record was excellent.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators are currently looking into the causes of the incident with the assistance of the police and the Middlesex County District Attorney's office.

 

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