OSHA: Dip in Pavement Caused Window Washers' Deaths

By Matt Dunning
UPDATED AUGUST 19, 2008

The federal Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration (OSHA) says uneven pavement caused the fatal accident that killed two window washers at the World Financial Center earlier this month.

Robert Fabrizio, 35, of Las Vegas and Darin Fabrzio, 37, of Milford, PA, were pronounced dead shortly after 1 a.m., Aug. 5 at New York Downtown Hospital after their mechanical lift toppled over, crushing them. Police said the two men were brothers.

They were cleaning windows in the Merrill Lynch Building at 250 Vesey St. around 12:45 a.m., when their mechanical lift rolled over a dip in the sidewalk outside the building, according to OSHA spokesman Javier Santiago.

A representative of Brookfield Properties, which manages the World Financial Center, said the two men were employees of Total Building Services, based in Linden, NJ, and were subcontracted by another New Jersey-based company, Sheperd Industries. Representatives from Total Building Services would not comment on the incident. Joan Taylor, a Sheperd spokesman, said the company was looking into the accident, and declined further comment.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the families," Taylor said.

World Financial Center building manager James Morrissey would not comment when asked if it was standard practice or even safe for window washers to be working at such late hours. Santiago said some properties in New York have window-washing crews working at night because the sun’s reflection during the day makes it impossible to clean.

The day after the accident, the New York Post reported that maintenance workers at the WFC saw the lift leaking fluid just one week before the fatal mishap.

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