Building Trades News

Fund Established to Help Provide for Families in Need

Five members from Painters and Allied Trades, District Council 36 were killed Oct. 2 after a smoldering fire accidentally broke out inside a tunnel at a Xcel Energy Inc.'s hydro-electric plant outside of Georgetown, CO. Four other employees were injured in the unfortunate tragedy. Miraculously, four co-workers were able to escape the fire and were treated at a local hospital and released.

The nine member crew, all employees of RPI Coating of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., had been sealing the inside of a pipe to prevent corrosion, a routine maintenance procedure that followed an annual inspection.

When the fire broke out, one of two employees who were working outside the pipe was injured when he ran back into the tunnel to help out.

In the tunnel, Gary Foster, 48; Dupree Holt, 37; Donald Dejaynes, 43; James St. Peters, 52; and Anthony Aguirre, 18, scrambled past a bulkhead used to keep their work area dry and radioed to their co-workers that they were OK, except for minor injuries, but fire blocked their downhill escape route.

The 55-degree incline of the tunnel above them kept them trapped more than 1,500 feet below ground. Rescue efforts were delayed because of smoke, complexities of the 4,000-foot tunnel's design and uncertainties about the danger and nature of the fire, authorities said.

"We are deeply saddened by the deaths of these five men. Our sympathies go out to their families, friends, and co-workers. They were hard-working men, doing a hard hob and will not be forgotten," said Grant Mitchell, District Council 36 Business Manager.

The loss is a tragic reminder of the difficult and dangerous work done by our craft union members to build and maintain the nation's infrastructure. Construction work remains one of the nation's most dangerous sectors. In 2004, according to the AFL-CIO, the construction industry had 1,224 workplace fatalities—an average of four deaths per day—the highest of any industry.

Despite the dangers of construction, the majority of construction deaths occur on non-union sites. According to OSHA statistics, in the last 18 months 40 out of 44 construction deaths in New York City occurred on non-union construction sites.

District Council 36 has established a fund to help provide for the families in their time of need. Those who wish to make an tax-deductible contribution make their checks payable to Labor Community Services and in the memo section specify "DC 36 Fund." Checks can be mailed to: Painters District Council 36 Fund, 2130 West James M. Woods Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90006.

"We are devastated over this loss," said RPI Coating spokesman Marc Dyer. "They were very experienced guys. They were some of our best."

An OSHA investigation is currently underway and is expected to take several months and involve federal, state and local agencies, said the agency's Denver area director, Herb Gibson.

"We want a thorough investigation that will ensure this type of incident will never occur in the future when people are working in confined spaces," Gibson said.

"This was a terrible accident and the IUPAT is participating in the investigation so that we can ensure that every avenue is taken to get the answers to how and why this event occurred," said IUPAT General President James Williams. "Not only do the families deserve these answers, but knowing how this tragedy happened may save lives in the future."

Donald Dejaynes is survived by his wife Carolynn; Dupree Holt is survived by his wife Gladys and children Alexandria, Dalia and Kyle; Gary Foster is survived by his wife Elizabeth and children Brandi and Danielle.