15-year-old boy had no safety equipment (fell to his death at a construction site), stepfather says

[Omaha Steve]

Original story in forum archive.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2008/11/17/gwinnett_construction_accident.html

Construction-site accident casts spotlight on employer’s safety and hiring practices

By ANDRIA SIMMONS , HELENA OLIVIERO

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Monday, November 17, 2008

A 15-year-old Lawrenceville boy was working without any safety equipment when he fell to his death at a construction site last week, his stepfather said Monday.

Raul Torres Torres was at work with his stepson, Luis Montoya, at the vacant Macy’s building at Gwinnett Place mall in Duluth when Montoya toppled through an empty escalator shaft and fell about 40 feet, from the third floor to the ground floor. Torres, who was in another area removing scrap metal, said Luis wasn’t wearing a hard hat or safety harness.

“There was none of that, no protection,” said Torres in Spanish.


Vino Wong/[e-mail]
Yolanda Montoya and Lucky Montoya mourn the death of 15-year-old Luis, who died in a construction accident.

“There really should have been a supervisor saying ‘you have to put this on before you go to work,’ Someone should have been responsible for this. But there was none of that.”

The death has thrown a spotlight on his employer, Demon Demo, and the Suwanee-based company’s hiring and safety practices.

A spokesperson for Demon Demo said the company is conducting an internal investigation and is actively cooperating with OSHA’s investigation.

An initial police report says Montoya was 16. However, authorities have since determined he was only 15.

FULL story at link.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

1. How come this boy wasn't in school?

‘you have to put this on before you go to work,’

[eilen]

2. poor kid

I guess business practices like this is why my brother is constantly underbid.