SEATTLE — Large pieces of plywood fell from a construction site in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood on Tuesday, narrowly missing pedestrians and causing chaos in the area.
The incident, captured on video and shared widely on social media, showed people running for cover as the plywood fell from stories above.
Witnesses reported seeing construction workers later collecting the debris from the street.
“A little unnerving, definitely was like, oh, the sky’s falling,” said Audrey Lenox, a server at a nearby restaurant who witnessed the event.
“So that is terrifying. Now I have to look up and down when I walk around,” said Robert Moena, who works in South Lake Union.
The construction site is located between 6th and 7th Avenue at Bell Street. A resident of a nearby apartment building reported that similar incidents have occurred before, sharing a photo from January when debris pierced the awning of his building.
“Because if this is a consistent issue, there should probably be a regulation or at least a talking to whatever company is in charge of this. Because this could really take somebody out,” Moena said.
In a statement from the contractor, Centerville USA Construction Management Team, they said:
“Safety is our top priority and we require our trade contractors to take worksite safety seriously and comply with safety standards. Yesterday’s incident resulted from an unforeseen gust of high wind. The construction team and trade contractors have made sure all materials are safely secured on the roof. The team has also completed a thorough investigation with the trades to make sure on-going safety measures on the site.”
A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Construction and Inspections said: “Jobsite safety is paramount during construction, both for the crews and the public. Construction materials such as plywood should always be tied down or secured during a wind event.”
The city has also alerted the state Department of Labor and Industries.
Both say that construction materials should be tightly secured. The city also added that the Department of Labor and Industries will follow up with the contractor.
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