Facebook Steel Worker Hospitalized After Fall At Menlo Park Construction Site: Fire Dept.

MENLO PARK, CA — Another construction accident has been reported at the site of construction for a new Facebook building in Menlo Park. In this case, fire officials say a steel worker was injured after falling from upper level framing being used to erect Building 21.

According to Menlo Park Fire Protection District officials, at 8:35 a.m. Tuesday, firefighters responded to a report of an injured worker at Facebook's new building 21, which is under construction.

"Fire Paramedics used exterior stairs to gain access to the male Steel Worker with sub-contractor Schuff Steel who advised that he had sustained a 10 to 15 foot fall from the fourth floor when a piece of decking or steel he stepped on partially dislodged," the Menlo Park Fire Protection District said in a news release. "His safety harness and rigging stopped his decent prior to coming into contact with the third floor."

Fellow steel workers quickly assisted the victim by unclipping him from his safety rigging, and put him on the floor. The victim suffered significant pain, bruising and abrasions because of the "rapid deceleration," fire officials said.

Paramedics and fire crews arrived and lowered the man down from the third floor. He was taken to Stanford Hospital and released the same day.

"Menlo Park Firefighters took full cervical spine precautions and immobilized the conscious patient man out of an abundance of caution and for further evaluation at the trauma center," the agency said.

"Fortunately, the steel worker was wearing his safety harness and rigging, which probably helped to prevent significant injury or even death," Menlo Park Fire Protection District Chief Harold Schapelhouman said in a statement.

Cal/OSHA officials will investigate this accident, fire officials said.

“Nothing can be touched at the accident site until CAL- OSHA conducts an investigation," Schapelhouman said. "We will obviously support the primary contractor and OSHA investigators in anyway necessary so this project can safely move forward to a successful conclusion, hopefully without further incident."

This is the second time this year that a worker has been injured at this construction site. On April 26, two iron workers at the building were about 40 feet above the ground when the steel beam they were standing on and attached to suddenly dropped 20 feet.

Both workers, who were wearing safety harnesses that stopped their descent, suffered puncture wounds and significant pain to their lower extremities, fire officials said.

— Images courtesy Menlo Park Fire Protection District / Bay City News Service contributed to this report