NEWS

Two injured in Morristown Airport hangar collapse

Michael Izzo
@MIzzoDR

HANOVER – Two construction workers were injured Friday morning in the collapse of an under construction airplane hangar at the Morristown Municipal Airport.

Emergency services were dispatched to the Morristown Airport at about 11:16 a.m. Friday for a reported building collapse with an injury.

Town police, fire, and EMS responded and discovered an airplane hangar that had been under construction had collapsed, Morristown Police Department spokesman Detective Lt. Stuart Greer said.

The hanger was being built by 360 Steel Erectors from Toms River at 6 Airport Road in the airport complex. At the time of the collapse, the hanger was only partially built, with just the steel erector beams in place, Greer said.

OSHA spokesperson Joanna Hawkins said the two employees were working from a basket erecting the pre-engineered building when the wind picked up, the bolts “sheared,” and the structure collapsed.

As a result of the collapse, a 35-year-old male Toms River worker fell from an unknown height and received serious injuries to his leg, Greer said.

He was treated by Morristown EMS and Atlantic Health paramedics and taken to the Morristown Medical Center in stable condition.

The second male worker, 37 years old from Little Egg Harbor, was treated for minor bruises to his arm and taken to the hospital for evaluation, Greer said.

The cause of the collapse is currently under investigation, Greer said.

Representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were contacted and were on the scene Friday afternoon to assist in the investigation.

Hawkins confirmed the investigation and said 360 Street Erectors has an OSHA history.

The company has five previous violations from two separate inspections totaling $3,755.

For one inspection, 360 Steel Erectors paid $3,380 in penalties, two of which were considered serious, according to OSHA documents, which said the company paid $780 for those two violations, and $2,600 for a repeat violation.

For a second inspection, the company paid a $375 penalty for a serious violation, and no monetary penalty for an “other-than-serious” violation, according to the documents.

Specific details on the violations were not released.

No additional details on the hangar collapse were released Friday. OSHA has up to six months to complete its investigation, Hawkins said.

When reached by phone, Friday at about 1 p.m. a 360 Steel Erector worker said he did not have additional details on the situation and therefore could not comment.

Staff Writer Michael Izzo: 973-428-6636; mizzo@dailyrecord.com