At the University of Utah Health, a contracted worker was moving an MRI when the machine fell and killed him. The accident occurred at a loading dock as the machine was being moved outside of the building from the fourth floor to the first floor.

The injured man was sent to the Emergency Department at the Salt Lake City hospital where he later died. A second worker who was also moving the machine suffered a minor injury.

Alison Flynn Gaffney, Executive Director of University Hospital service lines and system planning, said, “This was meant to be a milestone occasion for our team, and something that has been in the works for several years. We are incredibly saddened to learn that someone tragically died in this incident and our hearts go out to the family.”

Local authorities are working with hospital employees to determine the cause of the industrial accident. The Salt Lake City Fire Department hazmat crew were originally dispatched to the scene; occupational safety experts are investigating the incident.

Gaffney said there were multiple emergency and safety plans in place at the time. The machine weighs 20,000 pounds, so moving it is a challenge. Gaffney dubbed it an “outside event” with “infrastructure and scaffolding” along with “multiple safety components” involved. She said the hospital has moved machines like this “many, many times.”

Acceletronics is an industry leader in delivering the best equipment performance and service reliability from CT Scanners and Linear Accelerators across all major brands and models. Call 610-524-3300 or visit our website: https://www.acceletronics.com.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.