The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry will oversee the investigation into a Feb. 9 accident that sent a worker plummeting 80 feet to the ground while painting a Culpeper water tower.
Dan Marmo, 38, of Muse, Pa., survived the fall and was transported to U.Va. Medical Center in Charlottesville. A hospital spokeswoman said he remained in fair condition early Wednesday.
A second, unidentified 48-year-old Pennsylvania man was rescued but uninjured after Marmo’s fall left him dangling from a safety harness.
Jennifer Wester, a spokeswoman for VDLI, confirmed the investigation is ongoing.
"We do have a couple of our compliance people assigned to that particular incident,” Wester said on Tuesday. “But I don't have any idea in terms of where they're at. We have it on our radar, so to speak, and we will be doing an investigation.”
She did not have a timetable on when each step would be completed, but in cases of workplace injuries or fatalities, Wester said, the state must complete its investigation within six months. The process includes visits to the incident site and interviews with witnesses. Managers in Richmond review the findings, including any fines, before they’re finalized.
Officials said they believe a cable supporting scaffolding at the top of the tower failed. The workers were contractors of a Pennsylvania-based company hired to paint the town’s three water towers. Neither the company nor authorities have identified the second man.
VDLI administers the state’s occupational safety and health program, enforcing and monitoring workplace safety in accordance with guidelines established by the federal government.
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