Iron worker falls to death on Strip

An iron worker plunged to his death at Project CityCenter on Friday, a day after he had taken a safety class on the prevention of falls, an MGM Mirage spokeswoman said.

The death, the fourth this year at the $7 billion project on the Strip, remained under investigation by Nevada's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The worker's name was unavailable Friday. The middle-aged man was working on the main resort tower about 8:50 a.m. when he fell 50 to 60 feet, said Scott Allison, a Clark County Fire Department spokesman. The worker died at the scene.

Allison said the man had a safety harness on, but it was unclear whether it had been hooked to anything. It was also unclear whether gusty winds played a part in the accident, he said.

OSHA stopped work on the tower to investigate while work continued elsewhere on the 66-acre site, said Yvette Monet, spokeswoman for project owner MGM Mirage. OSHA reopened the tower about 3 p.m., she said.

The worker had taken a safety refresher course Thursday, she said.

His death was the fourth at CityCenter since construction began in June 2006.

The first two deaths occurred Feb. 6, when a 3,000-pound steel wall used as a concrete mold fell from a crane and hit another wall. The walls toppled on four workers, crushing to death Bobby Lee Tohannie, 44, of Kayenta, Ariz., and Angel J. Hernandez, 24, of Las Vegas.

An OSHA investigation following that incident found two serious violations. Perini Building Co., the project's contractor, was cited for improperly securing the steel walls and for failing to train workers on recognizing and avoiding hazardous situations.

OSHA proposed a $14,000 fine. It was later reduced to $7,000 and the second citation was dropped, according to OSHA records.

CityCenter's second fatal incident happened Aug. 9. Investigators believe 65-year-old Las Vegan Harvey Englander died instantly when a construction elevator counter weight hit him while he was bending over to grease the elevator.

Despite the climbing death toll, Monet said the Project CityCenter site was "very safe."

Allison agreed, calling it one of the safest construction sites in the county.

"Four fatalities is sad, but considering ... the number of people working there and the size of the project, that's not really all that bad," Allison said, noting the roughly 4,200 workers on the job each day.

Perini Building Co. did not return a phone message seeking comment.

County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, whose district includes part of the Strip, said the rising number of deaths at CityCenter and other construction projects deserves a look by elected officials.

State regulations and safety laws might need to change as more projects work around the clock and climb higher over the Las Vegas skyline, she said.

"Unfortunately it takes several accidents to bring this to light," she said.

Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0281.