A contract employee died on Tuesday after falling from a scaffolding at NIPSCO’s R.M. Schahfer Generating Station in Wheatfield.

The victim was identified as Troy Jabaay, 49, of Hebron.

Jabaay was pronounced dead at 8:44 a.m. at Porter Regional Hospital, where he had been transported from the Northern Indiana Public Service Company facility, located in Jasper County, Porter County Coroner Chuck Harris told the Chesterton Tribune today.

Jabaay fell approximately 40 feet from a scaffold, Harris said.

When contacted this morning, Harris had not yet formally ruled on cause of death but was waiting for the results of a forensic autopsy to be conducted later today in Mishawaka.

NIPSCO spokesman Tom Stevens said that Jabaay was employed by Safway Services LLC, which was doing maintenance work in the generating area at Schahfer, unrelated to an ongoing flue gas desulfurization project at the facility.

Safway provides scaffolding services and access solutions, employs around 4,000 people, and has branches in 85 locations across North America.

“We’re deeply saddened by the death of a contracted employee,” Stevens said. “We extend our profoundest sympathy to his family and coworkers.”

The incident is under investigation both by the Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration and by a NIPSCO team, Stevens added. “Were fully cooperating with the investigation and everybody is going to learn from what happened. We’re really saddened. This is difficult for everybody.”

Posted 12/5/2012