Whiting-Turner Worker Killed at Disneyland Resort Jobsite
Javier Jimenez Jr., a 37-year-old member of a Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. crew hired by Disneyland Resort, was fatally injured Thursday after an “industrial accident” on a back lot of the Anaheim, Calif., theme park.
“Cal/OSHA was notified today that an employee of Whiting-Turner Construction [sic] Co. based out of Irvine was working around a trench when steel plates fell on him,” says Frank Polizzi, public information officer for California’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA).
Jimenez, of West Covina, Calif., was part of a team that was installing large pipes for an HVAC project, says Sergeant Daron Wyatt, public information officer for the Anaheim Police Department.
“A piece of equipment accidentally struck a cross beam that caused a large metal plate to fall onto the victim,” says Wyatt.
Jimenez was transported to UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., where he was pronounced dead at 4:13 a.m., according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Coroner Division.
Cal/OSHAis investigating the accident to identify if any workplace safety regulation violations occurred.
“Cal/OSHA has six months to issue citations, and investigations tend to take a few months at least,” says Polizzi, who notes that if violations are found to have occurred, Cal/OSHA will issue corrections and citations with monetary penalties.
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Whiting-Turner did not immediately respond to ENR requests for information. The incident occurred backstage at Disneyland and did not impact the park’s operations.
“We are saddened by this tragic accident involving a contractor and on behalf of Disneyland Resort extend our deepest sympathies to Jimenez’s family, friends and coworkers,” says Liz Jaeger, spokesperson for Disneyland.
