Construction workers impaled with steel bars, critically injured at construction site in Brickell

Six construction workers at a Brickell construction site were injured and two were in critical condition Wednesday after a heavy load of rebar fell from a crane.

An injured worker is lowered on a stretcher at the construction site where City of Miami Fire Rescue responded to a rescue call in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami, Florida, Wednesday, August 5, 2020. CITY OF MIAMI FIRE RESCUE

The terrible incident occurred at 830 Brickell, an office building under construction that is set to be the second-tallest tower in Miami.

Miami Fire Rescue officials said “it appeared that a crane was lifting a bundle of rebar when it somehow malfunctioned and fell on at least six workers”.

The Miami Herald reported emergency crews had to use large tools to cut through the steel to free trapped workers who were then transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. Their conditions ranged from serious to critical.

The city of Miami’s building department identified the contractor of the development at 830 Brickell Plaza as a joint venture between the British construction firm Ant Yapi and Miami Beach’s Civic Construction and said the developer was the OKO Group LLC.

All three of the companies have a violation history with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, according to the OSHA website.

“We have the building department on the scene, we have police on the scene and the event engineer to determine what it is that happened today that caused this accident,” Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez said.

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