On Tuesday (September 9), a fall accident occurred at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), the largest defense shipbuilding group in the United States, resulting in serious injuries to a worker.
At approximately 10:45 a.m. local time on September 9th, a production accident occurred at the Newport News Shipbuilding, where a shipyard worker fell from the side of the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier. The worker was working on a scaffolding 15.24 meters high at the time of the accident.
The Newport News Fire Department chief said the shipyard fire department requested support from the city fire department at 10:56 a.m. on the 9th, and the city fire department was responsible for airlifting the injured from the scene by helicopter and sending the injured to the hospital for treatment. The injured person is currently in critical condition but reportedly has stable vital signs.
It is reported that the USS John C. Stennis, the seventh Nimitz-class aircraft carrier built by the United States in the 1990s, was undergoing mid-life refueling and major overhaul at the Newport News Shipbuilding at the time of the incident.
A source familiar with the matter revealed that the shipyard worker fell onto a barge adjacent to the USS Stanislaus. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
The worker who fell in this incident was employed by Serco, a naval contractor, and not a regular employee of Newport News Shipbuilding. Serco provides technical management services to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Serco representatives stated: “ Our foremost concern is the health and well-being of our colleague, and we are ensuring they receive the necessary medical care,” Neun said, adding the company is “fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities.”