A construction worker was hospitalized Monday after being injured on scaffolding at the White House North Portico, prompting a rescue by D.C. Fire and EMS crews who used a ground ladder and a Stokes basket to bring the person safely to the ground. The worker suffered what officials described as minor injuries.
D.C. Fire and EMS confirmed the worker was hospitalized after being hurt on the scaffolding, according to WJLA. Rescue crews used a ground ladder to reach the worker and a Stokes basket to bring them down from the elevated structure, the station reported. 7News, which first reported the incident, said it was seeking additional details from the White House about how the injury occurred.
Scaffolding Was Part of a Presidentially Requested Restoration
The scaffolding sits on the North Portico, where crews have been working to strip 150 years of accumulated paint off the historic stone pillars, repair plaster, and touch up wear on the columns. The project was launched at the personal request of President Donald Trump, according to The Washington Post, which reported that Trump had expressed concern about door dings and repairs to the roughly 200-year-old pillars.
Just two days before the worker's rescue, construction crews had removed the large protective drapes that had shrouded the scaffolding since July, the Post reported. The tarps came down in preparation for an upcoming state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, scheduled for late September, exposing the work platforms to public view shortly before the injury occurred.
How White House Repairs Get Approved
Routine repairs and historic restoration on the Executive Residence involve the U.S. General Services Administration and the National Park Service, according to PBS News.
The portico restoration is one piece of work underway at the White House complex, alongside a planned presidential ballroom. The North Portico itself dates to 1829, when it was added under President Andrew Jackson using a design by Irish-born architect James Hoban, who had originally designed the White House in 1792 and rebuilt it after the War of 1812, according to WhiteHouse.gov. The South Portico had been built earlier, in 1817, under President James Monroe.
A Familiar Rescue Playbook for DC Crews
Rescue crews used a ground ladder and a Stokes basket to bring the injured worker down from the elevated structure.
It remains unclear whether the worker at the White House fell, suffered a medical emergency, or was hurt some other way, and whether OSHA or the National Park Service will open a formal safety review of the job site. The incident highlights the safety risks associated with work at elevation and on scaffolding.
