NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — When you mix booming construction demand and summer heat, it can make for a deadly combination, especially if you work in construction. Tennessee ranks among the most dangerous states for construction workers. After a recent fatality at a Metro school, councilmembers are looking to create more oversight when it comes to some of the city's projects.
"I is a student in my country originally, but I need money," Aaron Virguez said.
News 2 got the chance to speak with Virguez on a rare moment when he wasn't working. He told us that he has been working in construction for the past two years. Like so many of his coworkers and friends, he came here looking to create a better life.
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He is originally from Venezuela. Virguez made it clear how his job often comes with warnings.
Virguez described some material he had to move as "very heavy," so he had to be careful while on project sites, especially when he saw firsthand the dangers that could happen. He told News 2 that several of his coworkers and friends have been seriously injured.
The most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that Tennessee had the highest number of fatalities of any occupation in the private construction industry.
However, to combat the statistics, the Metro Council introduced legislation that would create a compliance board for all existing Metro construction contracts. Essentially, the board would be tasked with inspecting and investigating complaints.
One of the bill's sponsors, councilmember Sandra Sepulveda, has been vocal when it comes to the rights of construction workers. She's especially vocal for those not originally from the United States.
The bill cited two specific times where worker safety has led to a fatality. The first related to Gustavo Ramirez, who was 16 at the time of his death, in 2020. He died after falling from scaffolding at a construction site in East Nashville at the La Quinta Inn. Metro Police said that his 18-year-old brother was on the scaffolding with him when he said he heard a noise, turned around, and saw his brother fall.
The second, one of the most recent, was related to Denis Ba Che. He was 20 years old when he died while working on the roof of Glencliff High School in Antioch.
During a vigil held for Ba Che shortly after the incident, Sepulveda urged workers who attended to learn their rights while on the job.
“Your life and safety matter. You are not just a worker in the city, but the heartbeat of it," Sepulveda said. "The rights that you all have cannot be taken away. Learn your rights, and let’s make sure nothing like this happens again."
Ba Che's family has filed a lawsuit accusing the city and the Metro Public School District of "neglect."
"Denis really exemplifies some of the most vulnerable construction workers that face hazards like this and end up in precarious situations — just the fact that he was 20, he would be turning 21 next month, barely spoke the language, didn't know anyone here in Nashville, but came here to make money for his family and within a month he was dead," explained Kerry Dietz with the Stranch, Jennings & Garvey law firm.
The bill proposed by Metro Council has passed on first reading. Sepulveda said during the most recent Metro Council meeting, that she was confident it would pass.