Bronx Construction Worker Killed by Falling Industrial Cooling Unit

A Bronx construction worker was killed on December 4, 2012 when a 40-foot long refrigeration unit slid off a flatbed truck and crushed him.

Tristan Mananghaya, 38, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was rushed to the hospital and later declared dead. The accident occurred outside Bronx Lebanon Hospital, where workers were directing a crane hoisting the cooling unit from a flatbed truck. Eyewitnesses said that a chain linking the trailer to the crane snapped, sending the trailer onto the sidewalk. The refrigeration unit, which was not secured to the trailer, slid off the truck and onto Mr. Mananghaya, who was guiding the crane operator just before the accident.
Investigators are looking into elements of the accident, to determine whether the accident falls under the provisions of New York State Labor Law, section 240(1). Depending on the circumstances, the accident may be covered by common law rules of negligence and operation of a motor vehicle, the tractor-trailer.  Investigators must look into a number of factors: who linked the chain to the truck, how the chain snapped, what caused the chain to snap, and whether the tractor-trailer operator acted negligently.

The New York City Department of Buildings and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are among those investigating Mr. Mananghaya’s death, the New York Daily News reported.