Three construction workers injured after roof collapses in Queens

On Behalf of | Jun 26, 2017 | Construction Accidents |

Last week, three construction workers were seriously injured when a load of construction materials dropped several floors at an Astoria construction site.

Contrary to initial reports of a crane collapse, fire officials said this particular construction accident was the result of roof cave-in. In fact, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro stated that a 1,200-pound load of laminated beams had been placed on the building’s roof just moments before the tragic accident, according to a report by the New York Daily News.

Unfortunately, once the roof gave way, the beams — in addition to cement bags and other building materials — crashed down several floors into the basement, injuring and trapping three workers.

While two workers were freed relatively quickly — one by himself and another by firefighters — it took more than an hour for firefighters to free the third worker who was trapped under a few thousand pounds of construction materials.

The Daily News reports that the wife of one of the victims stated that her husband had not been working with the construction company very long, but that he thought the working conditions were unsafe.

Timothy Hogan, the Building Deputy Commission, stated that inspectors are reviewing whether the construction materials were moved properly in this case. Specifically, he said, “Materials should be delivered to the ground level. If materials are delivered to an upper level, they are supposed to be reviewed by an engineer to make sure that the structure they are putting the materials on can handle the weight.”