A routine shift at San Francisco International Airport turned deadly last night when a 28-year-old ground worker was fatally injured on the tarmac, airport officials said. The man, identified by the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office as John Lacayanga, died while on duty. Authorities now treat the case as an apparent accident and work to understand exactly what went wrong.
Around 7 p.m., the San Francisco Fire Department responded to a vehicle service road between Terminal 3 and the International Terminal Boarding Area G. First responders found Lacayanga beneath a cargo pallet he was reportedly towing. No other vehicles were involved in the incident, and deputies initially handled the scene before turning the case over to the San Mateo County Coroner’s Office, according to NBC Bay Area.
Dnata, the company that employed Lacayanga, confirmed his death and said it is cooperating with officials and supporting his loved ones. “We are deeply saddened to confirm that a dnata team member passed away whilst on duty at San Francisco International Airport on 18 January,” the company said in a statement, according to NBC Bay Area.
Investigation and Oversight
On-the-job deaths typically trigger close scrutiny from workplace safety regulators. Under procedures outlined by Cal/OSHA, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s Enforcement Branch can open inspections after a fatality, interview employers and employees, and work through its local district offices to examine what happened…