Inspection Detail

Note: The following inspection has not been indicated as closed. OSHA citation items will be posted 30 (thirty) days after the employer receives the citation(s), except in cases of significant public interest. Posted citation items reflect any amendments to citations that are the result of a prompt settlement, which OSHA encourages. Employers and employee representatives will continue to receive copies of the citation(s) upon issuance.

Inspection: 1705283.015 - Stantec Consulting Services Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Syracuse Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 4:08 p.m. on October 20, 2023, an employee working as a Project Manager for an engineering services firm was inspecting the Seaway International Bridge. The employee was accompanied by a team of three coworkers (all bridge inspectors) working together to complete the inspection for the client responsible for operating and maintaining the bridge. The crew was riding in the traveler system under the center span of the bridge and was accompanied by a coworker who worked for the client. The employee was not positioned under the railing of the traveler basket and was crushed between the railing of the traveler and the underside of the bridge. The employee severed his T12 vertebrae, broke multiple ribs, and sustained severe internal bleeding, killing him.

Keywords: Back, Basket, Bridge, Broken Bone, Chest, Crushed, Fracture, Inspecting, Inspection, Internal Bleeding, Internal Injuries, Lack of Work Procedures, Manager, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Multi-employer Worksite, Multiemployer, Rail, Rib, Severed, Training, Unstable Position, Vertebra, Work Surface