Second Accident in Two Days at World Trade Center Site

A construction worker was impaled in fall at 4 World Trade Center on Tuesday, suffering a puncture wound to his side. The worker was transported to Bellevue Hospital Center in critical but not life-threatening condition. The following day, a crane raising a steel beam repeatedly crashed into same building, shattering glass toward the top of the skyscraper. High winds caused the beam to spin, crashing into the glass panels about 50 stories up.

Just one day after developer Larry Silverstein and local politicians held an emotional ceremony to mark the topping-out of the 977-foot skyscraper, construction workers at 4 World Trade Center weather two accidents in as many days.

Construction Worker Impaled in Fall at 4 World Trade Center

A construction worker at 4 World Trade Center fell and impaled himself on a metal rod Tuesday afternoon. The 37-year-old worker was helping to build the new skyscraper at 150 Greenwich St. when he slipped and fell about 1:20 p.m., an FDNY spokesperson said.

The worker landed on a small steel rod he was carrying in a pouch, suffering a puncture wound to his side. The injured man was transported to Bellevue Hospital Center in critical but not life-threatening condition.

---

Steel Beam Crashes Into 4 WTC, Shattering Windows

A crane raising a steel beam crashed into 4 World Trade Center Wednesday, shattering glass toward the top of the building. Fifty firefighters responded to the scene after being alerted to the accident on the south side of the rising tower about 11:30 a.m., the FDNY said.

This is the second accident at the site in as many days.

Construction workers at the scene said that the beam began to spin and crashed into a few panels of glass about 50 stories up due to high winds.

Police taped off Church Street between Cortland and Rector streets and closed Zucotti Park, and workers were asked to leave the building. The falling glass also shut down the 9/11 Memorial for the afternoon, officials said.

Tishman Construction, the general contractor at 4 World Trade Center, released a statement saying

"A sudden gust of wind caused a load of steel to hit the tower's glass. As a result, some pieces of glass fell onto Liberty Street. Fortunately, the street was closed at the time, and the Liberty Street sidewalk is protected by a construction shed. There are no reports of injuries. We have suspended steel lifts pending an investigation, are inspecting the entire facade of the building and are reviewing protocols for evaluating weather conditions."

Other recent accidents at 4 World Trade Center include a February incident in which a load of steel beams fell 40 stories from the building, crushing a truck. Just a few months earlier, a teenager suffered a minor injury when a 4-foot rod fell from the building.