Second worker dies on Port Tampa Bay project

A construction worker at the Port Tampa Bay project in Florida was crushed by building material and died Wednesday, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The incident marks the second worker death at the project in the last three months.

On Wednesday morning, a worker was clearing the way for a forklift that was transferring two bundles of lumber weighing 3,000 pounds each. When the operator hit the brakes, the bundles rolled forward. The first bundle clipped the worker, and the second rolled over and crushed him, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office and Port Security responded to the incident. The worker was pronounced dead at Tampa General Hospital.

Another worker died earlier this fall during a construction mishap on the site. Early on Sept. 16, a concrete slab estimated to weigh 3,000 pounds broke off the seawall, fell and struck 27-year-old Brennen Wagoner, killing him.

The sheriff’s office said it could provide no additional information — not the employers of the slain workers nor status of the project — and instead referred Construction Dive to OSHA, which is investigating both incidents. The agency does not comment on ongoing investigations.

Port Tampa Bay is undergoing a capital improvement program, dubbed “Vision 2030,” which seeks to expand, rehabilitate and modernize its marine terminals and supporting infrastructure.