OSHA and Coast Guard to visit site of deadly Everett crane collapse Monday
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Coast Guard will visit the site of the crane collapse that killed two workers in Everett, Massachusetts, on Monday.
The Coast Guard said it will determine "how best to conduct the investigation," but as of Saturday, it is not currently investigating the incident.
The collapse happened Friday afternoon at a site on Rover Street, near the Encore Boston Harbor casino. Mayor Carlo DeMaria said a cable snapped and the crane fell on workers who were cutting pipes off the dock.
The crews were dismantling a former Exxon Mobil facility as part of a multimillion-dollar renovation to the waterfront. Everett Landco, which owns the site, said work has now stopped in the area after the collapse.
"There needs to be some follow-up, of course, in regards to the equipment. We have a call into the company and we have a call into the union as well, just to get an update. We will be following up with the families to see what's important and how we can help," Mayor DeMaria said.
One of the workers died on the scene from the collapse. The second was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died. Their names have not been released.
"We feel awful for what happened to these two young men. Both young men. One was in his 30s, one was in his 40s," Mayor DeMaria.
He also said that someone may have fallen into the water during the collapse. The deaths are being investigated by the Middlesex District Attorney's office, Everett and State Police, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Union mourns workers
A local union confirmed that the two men killed were members.
"Our union is mourning the loss of two of our Brothers after an incident on a job site this afternoon. We put a strong emphasis on prioritizing our efforts to ensure the safety of our members. It devastates us that our members and their families were impacted by this unfortunate incident," said the Pile Drivers & Divers Local 56 in a statement. "We will do all that we can to provide comfort and support to those affected. We would like to thank emergency responders and others on-site who did all they could for our Brothers."