REPORTER STAFF
An ironworker who died in a construction accident on a Redmond Microsoft campus site, at 4480 154th Place NE on Thursday has been identified as Randy James Beutel, 23, of Aberdeen. He was an employee of RPM Steel in Auburn. An RPM company spokesperson said that Beutel was single and that his family has asked for privacy as they come to terms with the tragedy.
Beutel was trying to set the large rebar form — which includes thousands of pounds of intertwined iron — into concrete. The man was tied to the form, near the top, when one of the supports gave way, fell over and crushed him, according to Redmond Police spokesperson Jim Bove.
Police and Fire personnel responded and medics administered CPR and used an automated external defibrillator (AED), but Beutel was pronounced dead at the scene.
“It appears that this was nothing criminal,” Bove said. “This was an industrial accident.”
Turner Construction was the company overseeing the work site. The accident is being investigated by the State Department of Labor and Industries.
“L&I is still investigating what went wrong and what happened,” Bove said. “Everyone is in shock.”
Chaplains from the Redmond and Bellevue Police Departments were on the scene to console frightened witnesses and co-workers. All of the work at the construction site was stopped on Thursday and Friday.
Turner Construction released the following statement to the Redmond Reporter on Thursday:
“Turner Construction is saddened to confirm that there was a fatality of one of its subcontractor’s employees this morning on the construction site at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Wash. An investigation is underway and we have been and will continue to cooperate fully with authorities who are investigating. We have also launched our own internal investigation. At this point, our investigation indicates that a rebar cage fell, resulting in a fatality. Work has ceased on the job site while the investigation is underway. We will continue to update you as we gather additional facts related to the cause of this incident. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with this man and with his family at this very sad time. As a matter of both policy and practice, Turner, its employees and subcontractors are committed to working in a safe and responsible manner. Turner’s commitment to safe building practices has earned the company a multitude of industry awards and recognition. We will continue to investigate the cause of this incident.”
On Friday, a Microsoft spokesperson commented, “We can confirm that the accident occurred at the construction site of a garage that eventually will have a building over it. This is the building that, at the earnings announcement, we indicated construction would be halted and picked up at a later date, when the economy improves. This particular site needs to have the construction itself reach a certain point before it can be stopped.”
