Campus Alert Archive
Penn State

Roofer Airlifted From Thompson Hall After Multi-Story Fall at Penn State West Halls

PAinfrastructure failureadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On May 27, 2025, at approximately 9:30 AM EDT, a worker employed by roofing contractor Mid-State Roofing and Coating Inc. fell several stories from Thompson Hall in Penn State's West Halls residential complex during a $3.9 million slate roof replacement project. A Life Flight helicopter transported the injured worker to a regional trauma center. Penn State notified campus, and OSHA opened a formal investigation.

Alerts
1
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
1
Institution
Pennsylvania State University
Public R1 · PA
~88,000 studentsPSUAlert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTUnknown
Approximate reconstruction412 chars
Penn State University is aware of a construction accident that occurred this morning at Thompson Hall in the West Halls residential complex. A contractor working on the roof fell and has been airlifted to a trauma center. The area around Thompson Hall is temporarily restricted. OSHA has been notified and is investigating. Students in adjacent buildings should remain inside and away from the construction zone.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The worker was an employee of Mid-State Roofing and Coating Inc., which had been awarded a $3.9 million contract to replace the historic slate roof system on Thompson Hall; the fall occurred during active roofing work on the dormitory.
Life Flight landed at the athletic fields at the corner of North Atherton Street and White Course Drive on Penn State's main campus, which is a designated helicopter landing zone -- the proximity of the landing zone to the residential complex indicates the severity of the injuries.
Context

Background

Thompson Hall, part of Penn State's West Halls residential complex on the University Park campus, was undergoing a major slate roof replacement contracted to Mid-State Roofing and Coating Inc. for $3.9 million when a worker fell several stories at approximately 9:30 AM EDT on May 27, 2025. Statecollege.com reported that a Life Flight helicopter transported the injured contractor to a regional trauma center, landing at a field near North Atherton Street and White Course Drive. Penn State confirmed the incident and OSHA opened an investigation. The fall occurred during a period of active end-of-semester construction across Penn State's sprawling University Park campus, where dozens of projects were ongoing for the 2025 construction season. The contractor's name was not publicly released. The incident is part of a broader pattern of fall hazards on roofing and scaffolding projects at large university campuses that maintain historic masonry structures.
Analysis

Key Findings

A Mid-State Roofing contractor fell several stories from Thompson Hall at approximately 9:30 AM EDT on May 27, 2025 during a $3.9 million slate roof replacement project
Life Flight transported the worker from the Penn State campus to a regional trauma center; OSHA opened a formal investigation
The incident demonstrates fall risks during large-scale roofing of historic residence halls that require specialized slate work
Penn State was running dozens of concurrent construction projects in spring 2025, including the major Ryan Field-comparable stadium and academic facility expansions
Outcome
The worker, whose name was not publicly released, was transported by Life Flight helicopter from a field at the corner of North Atherton Street and White Course Drive to a regional trauma center. OSHA opened an investigation with up to six months to complete findings. No students were injured.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Contractor hospitalized after falling off Penn State dormitory roof, university says - WJACTV
    wjactv.com
  2. News
    Worker Flown to Hospital After Falling From Penn State Residence Hall - statecollege.com
    statecollege.com
  3. Official
    UP-Thompson Hall Roof Replacement - Penn State Office of Physical Plant
    opp.psu.edu
Tags
constructionroof-fallworker-injurylife-flightosha-investigationdormitorypennsylvaniaroofing-contractor
Added June 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion