Local

South Boston collapse, rescue reignites construction worker safety concerns

BOSTON — The collapse that happened during demolition at the old Edison Power Plant is bringing more attention to the safety of construction workers in the city.

Three workers were trapped on Wednesday afternoon when a catwalk collapsed in the century-old building in South Boston.

Two were rescued quickly and suffered minor injuries. It took about 3 1/2 hours to free the third, who now has life-threatening injuries.

Suffolk Construction, the company responsible for the deconstruction, said it’s “currently on site working closely with OSHA, our subcontractor and the local authorities to determine the cause of this incident and inform the safety of the site.”

“I’m angry that we’re here again at another work site with another major incident,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “It cannot be a question whether your family member will come home at night, whether they will be safe on the job.”

The demolition collapse is the second to happen in Boston in recent months.

Demolition worker Peter Monsini was killed back in March during a structural collapse at the Government Center Garage.

“It’s a disgrace. How many workers are going to be killed in the city of Boston?” said Joe Cappuccio, with Friends of South Boston Green Space. “Does anybody care about the workers anymore?”

The old Edison Power Plant, not far from Castle Island, has been vacant for about 15 years.

Demolition at the 776 Summer St. location began less than five months ago and is estimated to take a total of 20 months to complete.

Redgate/Hilco has plans of developing 15 acres of land into 1.7 million square feet of residential, office, retail, hotel and parking spaces.

“Safety has seemed like one of the main concerns. Anyone doing anything around it has been safe from what I’ve seen,” said Kyle Merchant, who works in a nearby office building. “This one took us all by surprise.”

A Hilco spokesperson said, “The safety of the workers on site and in the surrounding areas is our top priority. We are thankful for the swift response from Boston emergency services.”

Work at the site has been suspended until further notice.

Mayor Wu said the city is “pausing permits and making sure there is a full investigation”.

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