Ironworkers are usually on the job outside, no matter the weather, in Chicagoland. Weather conditions notorious to the Windy City are not going to stop them from working on the huge construction projects currently underway here, such as the numerous bridge repairs, renovations, or replacements involved in Project Rebuild Illinois or the high-rise landmarks along our waterfronts like 400 Lake Shore or Bally’s Casino.
Cowboys in the Sky
While structural or reinforcing ironworkers may not be on the job when our weather is very bad (think rain, snow, sleet, high winds), they will still be found at work in weather conditions (winter and summer) that many of us would consider uncomfortable at the minimum, if not downright risky.
There’s a reason our ironworkers long ago earned the nickname of “Cowboys in the Sky.” To learn more, read about the history of ironworking provided by the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, AFL-CIO (IW).
Ironworking is notoriously dangerous. Paramount to anyone on the job on projects involving bridges or high-rises is the risk of falling from a height. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics warns, “[F]alls can be deadly. To reduce these risks, ironworkers must wear safety equipment such as harnesses, hard hats, boots, gloves, and safety glasses.”
Safety Laws, Regulations, and Industrial Standards Exist to Keep Ironworkers Safe
Of course, there are laws and regulations on the books dedicated to keeping ironworkers safe on the job. Together with industrial standards, employers and others with possession, custody, or control of the jobsite have clear duties of safety placed upon them to prevent work accidents.
These include OSHA’s “Steel Erection Rule,” found in Subpart R, 29 CFR §1926, which “sets forth requirements to protect employees from the hazards associated with steel erection activities involved in the construction, alteration, and/or repair of single and multi-story buildings, bridges, and other structures where steel erection occurs.” Under the OSHA Steel Erection Rule, workers on the job at least 30 feet or two stories above a lower level have to be protected with a fall-arrest or other safety system.
Other protections include safety guidelines and requirements for things like Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); ironworker safety training on equipment, emergency procedures, etc.; and inspections and housekeeping of the worksite by the powers-that-be.
- For more, read Shocking New Federal Rule for Construction Worker Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Industrial Workers; and Industrial Housekeeping and Construction Site Accidents.
Chicago Ironworker Injury Dangers on Bridges and High-Rise Projects
Anyone involved in ironworking faces hazards on the job. The simple act of ornamental welding in a residential renovation, for instance, comes with risk. However, when someone is on a job site that involves a significant height, such as the current bridge projects throughout Cook County, and the numerous high risk towers being built around Chicago, the dangers are exponentially great.
There can be falls from a height; structural collapses; or hazards involving things like heavy machinery, equipment, or power tools. Work accidents for an ironworker on the job in bridge work or high-rise tower construction can be life-altering or deadly in an instant.
Consider the following:
The Windy City: Wind and Weather on High-Rise Projects
Winds coming off Lake Michigan can be sudden and strong, surging from a nominal 2 mph to 26 mph or higher, on a calm day, in a matter of seconds. Cranes can sway. Loads can swing. Fall control is vital on high-rise construction projects like 400 Lake Shore.
Accordingly, ironworkers need protection with things like guardrails; safety nets; personal fall arrest equipment; and employers ready to accommodate delays in scheduling as well as providing proper fall hazard training (see 29 CFR §1926.761).
Unique Chicago Bridge Risks
Chicago is a historic city, a national treasure of architecture and innovation; our bridges and roadways are no exception. See, “10 Historic Chicago Bridges to Know,” written by Sara Freund and published by Curbed Chicago on December 19, 2019. For ironworkers on the job in Project Rebuild Illinois, this means they are facing all sorts of unique challenges.
Ironworkers may face the hazards of working on the water, or high above it, when doing bridge rehabilitation work. For instance, the 109-year-old Lake Street Bascule Bridge is being revamped now, in a project forecast to be finished in January 2028.
Ironworkers in these types of bridge projects will work with rigging, as well as lifts. There may be divers on the job, too. Lead-based paint is probably part of these old historic bridge projects, along with corroded steel, and other hazardous material concerns.
Protections will be necessary that include not only guardrails and safety training, but coordination with marine vessels to keep workers safe, and PPE that includes life jackets. Ironworkers may need hazmat protections (think respirators), as well as special safety protocols for working in confined spaces.
Traffic concerns (Chicago is famous for its traffic jams) may mean that ironworkers are asked to work at night. This means they will need enhanced lighting for their job sites; reflective gear; illuminated signal devices; and more safety measures specific to night work.
For more, read: Respiratory Protection: Deadly Dangers Facing Variety of Workers in Indiana and Illinois; and Construction Industry Personal Protective Equipment: New Federal Standard Effective January 2025.
Why These Hazards Matter: Protecting Chicago Ironworkers from Injuries and Harm
Falls remain one of the “fatal four” leading causes of death for construction workers in this country, while the general fall safety regulation has been the most often cited regulatory violation cited by OSHA for the past thirteen years.
- Read: Fatal Falls in Construction Caused by Employers Failing to Plan for Worker Safety; The 2025 OSHA Top Ten List of Most Frequently Cited Workplace Safety Standards: Warning to Workers and Fighting Fatal Falls on the Job: OSHA’s First National Emphasis Program.
Ironworkers in Chicago who are employed on bridge infrastructure projects or building new high-rise towers in Chicagoland are at a very real danger of suffering catestrophic physical injuries or even death on the job. Falls from a height are a constant threat to these ironworkers.
Chicago ironworkers deserve to work without fear of harm on the job. There are not only safety regulations but industrial recommendations, standards, and best practices in place to keep them safe.
Ironworkers on bridge projects and high-rise construction sites should be alert for any failures by those in control or possession of parts of the workplace to protect the people there.
For instance, the Steel Erection Rule mandates that there must be a site-specific plan in place that accounts for things like wind. Connectors, deckers, riggers: have they been provided training on things like hazard recognition (think weather, fall risks, etc.) as required by law? Is there proper lighting for night work? Are construction workers being provided with proper PPE that fits right?
Failures in the duties of care and safety owed to Chicago ironworkers put them at risk of severe injury or death in a work accident. The ongoing Rebuild Illinois bridge projects as well as the majestic high rise tower builds like 400 Lake Shore and Bally’s Casino are important and vital parts of Chicago’s future – and dangerous working zones for ironworkers entrusted with their completion.
Falls from a height can kill an ironworker, or cause permanent harm like traumatic brain injuries; spinal cord paralysis; internal organ damage or failure; scars and disfigurement; or loss of limb in a traumatic amputation or a medically-necessary amputation weeks or months after the incident.
For more, read:
- Deadly Falls and Safety Harness Failures on Illinois or Indiana Work Sites
- Fatal Falls on the Job and the Employers Failure to Protect Worker From Fall Risk
- Deadly Construction Accidents: Falls Remain a Leading Cause of Death for Construction Workers
- Fall Protection in Construction: Preventing Deadly Accidents on the Job.
Ironworkers on the job in our current bridge infrastructure projects or on Chicagoland high-rise tower construction sites deserve respect for their contributions and are owed protection from injury while on the worksite. Sadly, all too often preventable accidents caused by breaches in duties of care result in tragedy. Please be careful out there!
