A teenage boy was hospitalized in grave condition after falling about three stories while working on a construction site in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood Thursday morning, prompting renewed concerns among nearby residents about safety at the site.
Emergency crews were called to the 5800 block of Bryant Street at about 10:30 a.m. after reports that someone had fallen from a building. Pittsburgh officials said the teenager had been doing roofing work when he fell.
He suffered a serious head injury and was taken to a local hospital, where he remained in grave condition, according to the latest available information.
The incident happened at a construction project where new residential and retail space is being developed. People working and doing business nearby said they had watched crews at the site for months and had previously worried about safety practices.
David Boynton, who owns Priority One Personal Training and Wellness across from the project, said he noticed workers at the construction site shortly before the emergency response began.
He recalled seeing some workers using a forklift while others were working around the roof. About 20 minutes later, he saw emergency responders at the location and a person being moved on a stretcher.
“It was just really concerning to see,” Boynton said.
Another employee at the business, Shawn McCrorey, said he had also observed workers moving materials around the building during the construction.
Boynton and McCrorey said they believed some of the workers appeared to be teenagers and expressed concerns about what they described as a lack of visible fall protection while work was being performed at elevated areas. Their observations have not been independently established as violations, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The questions about safety are now part of a broader investigation into what happened before the teenager fell.
Pittsburgh police are investigating the incident, while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has also opened an investigation into the workplace accident.
OSHA’s involvement means investigators will examine the circumstances surrounding the fall and whether applicable workplace safety requirements were followed. No final findings from the investigation have been announced.
Property records identify Gupta Properties as the current owner of the site. Other contractors have also been associated with the project. Certasite Pro, which was identified in connection with the property, told local television investigators that its workers were not involved in the incident.
For people who live and work nearby, the accident has brought attention to the need for stronger oversight at construction sites, particularly when workers are performing jobs several feet above the ground.
“Shouldn’t there be more oversight of these projects to make sure that things are being done safely, and not allowing individuals who are very young to work in situations like this?” Boynton said.
The investigation is continuing, and officials have not announced additional details about the teenager’s condition or the circumstances that led to the fall. Further information is expected as police and federal workplace-safety investigators continue their work.
