News Archives
June 25, 2008
Two New Jersey Workers Killed in Scaffolding Accident
On Saturday, May 30th, a scaffold collapse resulted in the death of two North Jersey workers, Stanislaw Bryjak, 55, resident of Elmwood Park, and Henryk Wietecha, 56, of Garfield. A third worker, Creslaw Saniewski, 56, of Passaic was taken to Jersey City Medical Center in serious condition.
Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is looking into the accident, which occurred when the three men were painting a 60-foot tall fuel tank at the International-Matex Tank Terminals. The men were employed by West Virginia Painting & Tank Co., which is based in Clifton. The workers fell from the scaffold after a bolt that connects one of the cables to the suspended structure gave way, causing the vertical platform to drop into a perpendicular position.
Federal OSHA investigators will look into the company’s safety and health records and policies to determine if necessary steps were taken to avoid the incidence and whether or not the workers were properly harnessed to the structure. The three workers were Polish immigrants who had been working and living in the United States for approximately 18 years. Hard working and dedicated workers such as Mr. Bryjak, Mr. Wietecha, and Mr. Saniewski embody the spirit and strength upon which the labor movement was built and has progressed.
It is unfortunate that workplaces around New Jersey and our country continue to exact such a heavy price for their dedication and hard work. Each workplace fatality underscores the need for stepping up the fight for stronger enforcement of occupational safety and health laws. Each one of us bear a responsibility to be part of this fight – by pledging our support, by protesting against irresponsible employers, and by being vigilant in our own workplaces.