Construction Workers Hurt In 'Catastrophic Failure' At Facebook HQ Site: Fire Dept.

MENLO PARK, CA — Two construction workers suffered major injuries when part of a new Facebook building they were working on collapsed, causing them to fall several feet, fire officials say. According to Menlo Park Fire Protection District officials, at 5:21 p.m. Wednesday fire crews responded to Facebook's new building 21, where the incident happened.

Fire officials responded to the scene within seven minutes, and found the two men had been moved to a safe location away from the partially collapsed building, according to Fire Chief Harold. Schapelhouman

"According to other workers at the site, both victims had been working at an estimated height of forty feet assembling the structures steel framing when a catastrophic failure occurred and the steel beam they were standing on, and attached to, dropped an estimated 20 feet catching on a lower floor assembly, catapulting them towards the ground," Schapelhouman said in a news release. "Fortunately, their safety harnesses and rigging broke and stopped their descent, prior to actually hitting the ground below."

According to fire officials, one victim is in his late 20s and the other is in his early 30s. Both men were conscious after the fall and complained of significant pain to their lower extremities, as well as puncture wounds.

"Firefighters quickly triaged, treated and packaged each patient in rapid and team fashion for immediate transport by two awaiting AMR Ambulances to Stanford Hospital and Trauma Center," Schapelhouman said, adding that paramedics accompanied the injured to the hospital since their injuries were so traumatic.

"[F]ortunately, the iron workers were wearing their safety harnesses and rigging, which probably helped save their lives along with, as we understand it, the fact that the beam they were attached to caught on a lower floor assembly, miraculously insuring their survival," the chief said. "Add in that the area below were they were working was pretty much open and an army of their co-workers immediately came to their aid, moved them to a place of safety, brought us right to them and then stood back so we could do our job..., honestly, it couldn’t have gone better."

A number of steel upright and cross beams were damaged in the collapse, according to fire officials. They can't be touched or moved until the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or CAL-OSHA, conducts an investigation.

"I spoke with our Fire Marshal this evening and we will obviously support the contractor and OSHA investigators in anyway necessary, but we will also want to be involved with any type of deconstruction plan and process needed, so the project can safely move forward again," the chief said Wednesday.

Image courtesy: Menlo Park Fire Protection District