State investigators from the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health will be in Margate today to investigate 30-year Building Inspector Jim Galantino’s fall at a property currently under construction.
PEOSH works to ensure the safety of public employees while they are on the job.
A construction permit states the property is owned by Iroquois Family Tribe Trust. The five-bedroom, 4.5-bath single-family dwelling is being constructed on pilings by Dave Daljack of Daljack Construction, LLC of West Deptford, who requested a framing inspection.
The railings and cover to a shaft required by code to protect the safety of workers and inspectors was not present during the inspection, city officials said.
According to news sources, the contractor failed to use proper safety precautions to protect employees. There were no railings in place around the open shaft and the opening was covered after the accident.
When contacted by BreakingAC, Daljack quickly hung up stating he was not interested in discussing the matter.
The Margate City Fire Department transported Galantino to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Trauma Unit in Atlantic City where he spent several days recuperating from injuries sustained in the fall, including broken ribs, back injuries and facial and head lacerations. He was released from the hospital Saturday.
“It seems like the site was not ready for inspection or not safe at the time of the inspection,” Building Office Supervisor and Technical Assistant to the Construction Code Official Palma Shiles said.
Shiles said builders are required to have railings and a cover for any type of hole such as an elevator shaft or other opening. Builders have been educated on a regular basis about safety regulations and their responsibility to provide safe access, Shiles said.
In Galantino’s absence, Shiles, whom Fire Chief Dan Adams called “the glue that keeps the department running,” has been working to ensure that other inspections are completed as required for numerous properties currently under construction in the city.
“Palma pulled everything together to ensure there are no interruptions in services,” he said.
The Board of Commissioners at their meeting Thursday, June 20 will vote on resolutions to use the third-party inspection agency, Trinity Inspection Services, LLC of Vineland, to conduct certain inspections, and establish a shared-services agreement with Ventnor to use their construction code official, Dino Cavalieri.
“We used them in the past,” Shiles said.
Inspectors will be available in Margate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until Galantino returns.
Shiles said the city is currently requiring all inspections to be requested in writing by email or through the Building Department’s SDL (Spatial Data Logic) online portal.
Adams said he filed an accident report with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), which referred the matter to PEOSH.
PEOSH inspectors was expected onsite Tuesday morning to investigate the accident.
“Anytime someone is hospitalized from a job related accident in municipal government you have to report it,” said Adams, who also serves as the city’s Claims Coordinator and Safety Coordinator.
Adams said he was not at the scene but listened to the rescue on his city-issued radio. Deputy Chief Pat Armstrong responded to the scene immediately after the accident occurred at approximately 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
“When the call came in and we were told it was a city inspector, our entire duty shift responded to the scene,” Adams said.
Armstrong was able to speak on the phone directly with Galantino who was “not unconscious, able to talk but in a lot of pain,” Adams said.
Firefighters, who are all EMT certified, were able to access Galantino who had fallen from the first floor to the ground below.
“They were able to access the lower level, get him on a spine board and into a C-collar, put him on a stretcher and transported to the trauma center where he was treated,” Adams said.
Adams said he heard from Galantino on Sunday who said he is “doing better.”
“He thanked our guys for being there and taking care of him,” Adams said.
This story is developing. check back for updates.
