OSHA investigating incident
A 21-year-old man died on Feb. 15 as a result of injuries he reportedly sustained while he was working at the Bayso condominium complex construction site, located at 301 Quay Commons in downtown Sarasota, the Sarasota Police Department announced.
Detectives with the Police Department are investigating the incident, a Police Department news release says.
The 911 call was made about 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 15, the release notes.
The preliminary investigation shows that the man was painting on the 18th floor when, “for reasons unknown,” he fell to the fifth floor, the release points out.
The Sarasota County Fire Department responded to the 911 call, the release says, but law enforcement officers were not dispatched until approximately 2:15 p.m., after the man had been transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) under trauma victim protocols.
The worker died at SMH, the release adds.
When detectives reached the construction site, they interviewed witnesses, and Crime Scene Unit technicians examined and photographed evidence, the release says. “These are standard procedures for accidental deaths,” the release points out.
The “Sarasota Police Department believes this is an accidental death,” the release adds. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also is investigating the incident, the release notes.
As the OSHA website explains, “Investigating a worksite incident — a fatality, injury, illness, or close call — provides employers and workers the opportunity to identify hazards in their operations and shortcomings in their safety and health programs. Most importantly, it enables employers and workers to identify and implement the corrective actions necessary to prevent future incidents.
“Incident investigations that focus on identifying and correcting root causes, not on finding fault or blame, also improve workplace morale and increase productivity, by demonstrating an employer’s commitment to a safe and healthful workplace,” OSHA adds.
A project of Kolter Urban, the 18-story Bayso complex is sold out, its website says. The tower will comprise “149 luxurious residences,” the website notes, with seven of them penthouse designs ranging from 2,500 square feet “to just under 4,000 [square feet].”
Construction of the complex began in August 2021, the project’s Facebook page says. The Tampa Bay Business Journal reported in late October 2022 that the building had “topped out.” Liollio Architecture explains that that term means the last beam — or its equivalent — has been placed atop a structure during its erection.
“After topping out, numerous elements of construction remain, including interior finish and most mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems,” the firm adds.
The Quay Sarasota “is a 14-acre mixed-use, master-planned development” located on U.S. 41 overlooking Sarasota Bay, as its website notes. The property is just north of Bayfront Drive and Gulfstream Avenue.