Suffolk public works employee seriously hurt when scaffolding collapses

A Suffolk employee was seriously hurt Wednesday morning after falling down roughly 20 feet from scaffolding when it collapsed at the county police impound lot in Westhampton, the department said.

The employee, a 57-year old who works for the county Public Works Department, was standing on the scaffolding at 10:42 a.m. when it gave way, the police department said in a news release.

"He was working on a light fixture at the time of the incident," the police press office wrote by email in response to questions.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation, the office said. The incident has been referred to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the federal workplace safety regulator, the release said.

He is at Stony Brook University Hospital being treated for serious injuries. His name wasn't disclosed.

A call for comment to the OSHA duty officer at the agency's Westbury office did not allow a message to be left.

Fines levied by OSHA to employers have plummeted under the Trump administration compared with before he took office, according to a report in the latest Harper's Magazine.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.