Rebar Impalement Protection Fatality File

6 Workers Hospitalized After Being Hit by Falling Rebar in Brickell Construction Accident

Construction workers have a high risk of injury from accidents on the job site. Working with heavy machines, dangerous materials, and in high locations can put a construction worker at risk of catastrophic injuries and life-threatening conditions. Six construction workers were recently hospitalized after an accident at a construction site near Brickell City Centre.

On August 5, 2020, around 11:30 in the morning, Miami Fire Rescue crews and members of the City of Miami Police Department responded to a report of a construction accident in the area of Eighth Street and First Avenue. One nearby resident described the accident as “super loud” and “like an explosion.”

According to City of Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez, the accident occurred when workers were moving a bundle of rebar from the ground floor to a higher floor. Some type of malfunction caused the bundle of rebar to come crashing back down to the ground floor. The rebar struck six construction workers who were on the ground level.

Helping the Injured Workers to Free Themselves

Some nearby residents posted cell phone videos that showed workers trying to free injured workers from the rebar.

Rebar trapped three of the workers when it fell, but they managed to get out before emergency crews arrived. Rebar pieces impaled two other workers. First responders rescued a fourth worker trapped under the rebar.

Emergency responders transported six construction workers to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The injuries caused by the construction accident included wounds to the shoulder, leg, head, and chest. A nearby construction worker reported that most of the injured workers were ironworkers, which can be a dangerous occupation.