Construction Works Falls From 40 Foot Platform on Campus

Yesterday morning at 11:10 a.m. a construction worker fell nearly 40 feet from a platform while working at the Life Sciences building on Cornell’s campus.
The worker, Dallas Grove, 39, fell from a cherry picker, a self-propelled platform that functions as a scaffold.
Cornell University Police Department was immediately called, and emergency personnel prepared helicopter-landing zone in order for Grove, in a state of semi-consciousness, to be airlifted to Arnot Ogden Hospital in Elmira.
Grove is an employee of CBO Glass based in Buffalo. The company is a sub-contractor for the construction on the Life Sciences building.
According to Press Relations Officer Joe Schwartz, the incident is being described as an accident. There have been no discussions of negligent safety procedures at this time, but two simultaneous investigations are underway.
Both the Cornell Environmental Health and Safety and the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating in order to ensure that all safety procedures were adhered to.
According to the CUPD, the Employee Assistance Program also sent counselors to the site to be available for witnesses of the accident and fellow workers.
Construction on the Life Sciences building, slated for completion in 2008, is expected to continue on schedule.
Grove’s condition and the results of these investigations are yet to be released.