A window washer was critically injured after falling six stories from a Chicago hospital building Wednesday morning. NBC 5’s Michelle Relerford reports.
A window washer was critically injured after falling six stories from a Chicago hospital building Wednesday morning.
Police said the man fell from the sixth floor of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the 200 block of Huron Street around 8 a.m. The hospital's Galter Pavilion was seen blocked off with police tape.
The man was taken into the hospital for treatment and was listed in critical condition, officials said.
"Given the situation and location of the incident, several Northwestern Medicine medical professionals nearby responded to provide on-site emergency care," the hospital said in a statement. "The individual was transferred to the emergency department and is currently being evaluated by staff."
The window washer works for Corporate Clearning Services. The company says the man fell while working from a chair to clean windows at the hospital. They noted that this is "the first incident of its kind in the company's 21-year history."
There have been reports of citations by OSHA for "minor violations five years ago" but the company says "neither violation was related to any incident with an employee."
"This is one of our most experienced and dedicated employees and we are focused on providing assistance to him and his family as he undergoes various medical tests and procedures," the company said in a statement. "We are also working closely with investigators so that we can better understand exactly how this happened and to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
The Service Employees International Union said the worker was a member of the union.
"Chicago’s window washers risk their lives every day as they step over the edge of our city's skyscrapers," the union said in a statement. "We pray for this worker's speedy recovery.”
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The cause of the fall was not immediately known. Chicago Police are investigating the incident.
Check back for details on this developing story.
