An ironworker died on Tuesday afternoon when steel beams fell on him as he worked to install Barclays Center’s new green roof, according to a police spokesman.
The 52-year-old was an employee of a Massachusetts steel company contracted by Hunt Construction Group, according to a Forest City Ratner spokesman, who expressed his sorrow at the tragedy.
“We are all devastated by what happened,” said Joe DePlasco, a spokesman for the developer, in a statement. “All of us at Greenland Forest City Ratner Partners and Barclays Center extend our most heartfelt condolences to the worker’s family and friends.”
The worker, a member of the Ironworkers Local 361 union, was crushed by four steel beams when they rolled off a truck before they could be attached to a crane, police said. Cops and paramedics responded at 1:33 pm and found the man lying on a loading dock, where he was pronounced dead, according to a report.
Police are withholding the name of the worker pending family notification.
Construction on the arena’s green roof began last fall. The project is supposed to beautify the stadium and muffle noise from high-decibel events held there.
The worker is the first person to die during construction on the Atlantic Yards mega-development, DePlasco said.
In December, work on the arena’s new plant-encased top poked a hole in the ceiling, causing a leak that rained down on mid-court, delaying a Nets game.
