One dead from industrial incident at SLC airport
Nov 17, 2021, 10:23 AM | Updated: 5:59 pm
FILE -- Brian Aiken installs part of “The Canyon” art installation as construction continues in the new Salt Lake International Airport in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. “The Canyon” stretches 362 feet, consist of 412 individual tensile membrane fins, uses 2 1/2 acres of composite fabric and 7 miles of aluminum tubing. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake Police Department is investigating an industrial incident at the SLC Airport that left one person dead.
Police said they began an investigation just after 8:30 this morning after they received a call about an injured construction worker. Airport officials say it happened in a remote part of the airport, and it wouldn’t impact any airline traffic coming into or out of the airport.
Salt Lake City Police Detective Michael Ruff says, “It’s in a construction zone, so it’s not part of the terminal. It’s part of where they’re working to build this airport.”
Officials with SoNev Construction issued a statement after the accident, acknowledging the deceased was one of their employees and the accident occurred while “maintenance was being performed on construction equipment.”
“When our officers and medical personnel arrived on scene, the discovered the individual was deceased,” Ruff says.
Apart from that, very few details are being released about the identity of the worker and what led to the accident. Ruff says the SLCPD will investigate all deaths within the city limit, whether they died from homicide, natural causes or accidents.
“If there is a death or a body that has been found, regardless of what it is. That’s state law as well as our policy and since we are the law enforcement agency for the airport, we cover the airport,” Ruff says. “We’ll also need to have OSHA respond, as well, since this is a worksite death.”
In their statement, SoNev Construction officials offered their condolences for the worker and their family. It reads…
“SoNev Construction is deeply saddened by the loss of one of its valued employees. The accident occurred while maintenance was being performed on construction equipment on the Salt Lake City Airport campus. OSHA investigators and safety personnel from SoNev Construction and its management, along with Salt Lake City Airport personnel, have been on the scene and the incident is still under investigation.
Our hearts go out to the employee’s family and to the other employees on site who witnessed this tragedy.
The name of the employee will not be released at this time.”
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