Another Construction Loss in Vegas...12 in ONLY 18 months!!

“We’ll fix it. We’ll fix it.” But nothing ever happens. They’re pushing to get stuff done. They’re more interested in the money, than keeping the job safe.-Fred Medina, a member of Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 797


Construction jobs carry with them risks. From tunnel collapses to crane collapses, they are often very dangerous jobs. But 12 losses in Vegas during a period where the building “boom” has slowed seems just completely beyond the pale. From the Engineering News Record:

On June 17, Lyndall Bates, 49, of Tempe, Ariz. died after a 12-ft fall at Boyd Gaming’s $4.8-billion Echelon project. The accident is the project’s first fatality, but it is the 12th construction-related death on the Strip in less than 19 months.

Joe had a post up on the 4th about the MGM construction walk out on safety and as of yesterday, we have this from Boyd gaming about the loss of Mr. Bates Las Vegas Review-Journal :

In the joint statement with Tishman Construction and Marnell Corrao Associates, Boyd Gaming said the priority at Echelon is to ensure a safe construction site.

However, one worker wearing an Ironworkers Local 433 shirt said construction workers are feeling pressure to meet construction deadlines at the Strip project sites.
“They push us hard to meet deadlines,” the worker said.

Boyd is building the five-hotel resort and casino complex on 87 acres, much of which once housed the Stardust.

Meeting project deadlines is important, but not anywhere near as important as a human life. I’m betting that Lyndall Bates’ family would rather he still be around than to have to now plan a funeral.

Better safety, it should always be on all of our minds, not just workers and their unions, but managers, foremen and everyone else. Safety is vitally important to all of us.