Construction Worker in Crest Hill Fell 40 Feet from Beam

CREST HILL, IL — 42-year-old Iowa resident Fernando V. Gamez died Sunday morning after falling 40 feet from a beam while performing deck work.

Gamez was working on a building for Rich Products in Crest Hill when he fell from the beam, Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokeswoman Rhonda Burke said in an email to Patch. His employer, Ortner Construction, based out of Danbury, Iowa, was previously inspected by OSHA in 2014 and was cited for lack of frequent and regular inspections of “job site, equipment and materials, and employees not standing firmly on the floor of an aerial lift,” Burke said.

Crest Hill Deputy Police Chief Ed Clark said Gamez wasn’t harnessed and employees saw him fall off shortly before 10 a.m. He fell around 40 feet.

Police have investigated the incident, spoken to witnesses and documented the scene and now OSHA will be probably be taking the lead at this point, Clark said.

Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, accounting for 40 percent of all fatalities, according to OSHA.