Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Emerson College’s only independent, student-run newspaper since 1947

The Berkeley Beacon

Litigation filed after platform crash

The family of Romildo Silva, one of two construction workers killed in the April 3 platform collapse at the Piano Row construction site, filed a lawsuit yesterday that alleges negligence on the part of Macomber Builders, the project’s general contractor, according to an article slated for publication in today’s Boston Globe.

John Macomber, president and chief executive officer of the company, declined to comment on the legal action in an e-mail yesterday. The Beacon was not able to contact representatives from Silva’s family.

Construction on the building is expected to resume today. The city’s Inspectional Services Department (ISD) halted work at the site following the accident in order to conduct an investigation, according to ISD representative Lisa Timberlake.

Investigators produced a list of requirements for safety on the construction site, most concerning the remaining platform equipment. All of the requirements have been met, Macomber said.

“Our workers and subcontractors are subdued because of what happened, but they are eager to get back and to finish the project,” Macomber wrote.

David Rosen, vice president of public affairs for the college, said the building is still slated to open Labor Day weekend, the date scheduled before the accident.

Following the ISD investigation, Macomber Builders issued a report Monday that attributed the accident to human error on the part of the workers on the platform. Laborers removed the apparatus’ last ties to the building before a crane was in place to secure the lift, according to the report.

As a result, the structure became unsteady and fell more than 100 feet into the midday traffic on Boylston Street, killing Silva, project foreman Robert Beane and Dr. Michael Tsan Ty, whose Honda was crushed by falling debris.

Silva and Beane were both employed by Bostonian Masonry, a subcontractor responsible for completing the building’s stone fa

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