- Nicholas J. Marks, 40, fell 29 stories from 100 Summer Street in October 2023
- Investigators have fined employer Sky Safety Inc. $447,000
- The company was previously cited for safety issues in 2013 and 2019.
A window washing company was fined $447,000 after a worker fell to his death from a skyscraper when two safety cables in his harness broke.
Nicholas J. Marks, 40, fell 29 stories from the 450-foot 100 Summer Street skyscraper in downtown Boston on Oct. 23 of last year.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said the Massachusetts firm Sky Safety Inc. had been responsible for two willful, four serious and two repeat violations of workplace safety standards related to Marks’ death.
Marks fell hundreds of feet while climbing into a boatswain’s chair and preparing to wash the windows of the Boston building when the anchor line broke and a second lifeline gave way as he fell.
Nicholas J. Marks, 40, fell 29 stories from the 450-foot 100 Summer Street skyscraper in downtown Boston on Oct. 23 of last year.
A window washing company was fined $447,000 after a worker fell to his death from the 100 Summer Street skyscraper (pictured) when two safety lines in his harness broke.
“Surveillance video showed the employee bracing himself and the moment he fell from the building,” the investigation report reads.
“The employee hit the parapet with such force that it appeared the wall was damaged.”
At the time of the tragedy, three ropes could be seen hanging from the side of the skyscraper and a fourth rope broken about 16 stories high.
“To ensure the safety of employees working at heights, employers like Sky Safety Inc. must make it a top priority to provide comprehensive training on the inspection of rope descent systems and fall protection equipment and components before each use,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Galen Blanton. he said in a statement.
This is not the first time Sky Safety Inc. has been found liable for unsafe work practices. The employer was previously cited for safety equipment violations while operating under another name: Hi-Rise Inc.
The alarm arose from incidents involving employees working at the McCormack State Office Building in downtown Boston in May 2019, and in August 2013 at 1 Congress St.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said the Massachusetts firm Sky Safety Inc. had been responsible for two willful, four serious and two repeat violations of workplace safety standards related to Marks’ death. (Pictured: the scene after Marks fell from the skyscraper)
In the subsequent incident, investigators found that the safety rope designed to protect employees from falls was “severely damaged” and should have been removed from service.
The report adds that “the rope descent system was not protected from damage caused by rough, narrow walls and angular iron surfaces.”
100 Summer Street is a landmark 32-story, 1.1 million square foot office tower located in Boston’s financial district.
It is one of the tallest buildings in Boston with 360-degree views of the city and harbor.
