MRC: Breaking News - I-280 Bridge Construction Collapse AFTERMATH

[Sean Lyons]

From WTOL-11 News
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=2112000

TOLEDO (AP) -- The federal government says the builder of a bridge where
four construction workers were killed violated workplace safety standards
and should be fined $280,000.
Four men were killed and four others hurt in the February 16th collapse in
Toledo. They were working on the Interstate 280 bridge over the Maumee River
when a 1,000 ton crane collapsed.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says Fru-Con Construction
failed to comply with the manufacturers' instructions for the safe operation
of the crane. OSHA says the company did not sufficiently anchor the crane to
the concrete piers and failed to use the needed anchoring bars for the back
legs of the crane.

Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates says her office also is reviewing
documents collected by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health
Administration. She says the review doesn't necessarily mean there was
criminal conduct.

The Ohio Department of Transportation will hold a news conference at 2:30
p.m. at the bridge project field office, just north of the accident site.



I will provide more information when it becomes available.

[Sean Lyons]

In addition...this is from the Toledo Blade, more details in tomorrow
(Saturday's) edition...

"WILLFUL" VIOLATIONS
OSHA proposes $280,000 in fines against I-280 bridge construction firm
Fru-Con

The construction firm hired to build the new I-280 bridge failed to follow a
crane manufacturer's safety regulations prior to the Feb. 16 collapse that
killed four men and injured four others, the federal Occupational Safety and
Health Administration said yesterday.

OSHA has proposed $280,000 in fines, the maximum amount allowed, against
Fru-Con for four "willful" violations of federal workplace safety and health
standards.

"This tragic accident could have and should have been prevented," John
Henshaw, OSHA administrator, said in a written statement.

OSHA found that Fru-Con failed to properly anchor the crane as called for by
the Italian-based manufacuturer of the 1.8 million-pound cranes. Two cranes
were being used, one for each direction of the road, at the time of the
accident.

In the citations, OSHA proposes fines of $70,000 each for failing to
properly anchor both cranes in two locations, for a total of four
violations.

The crane that did not fall has not been used since the accident. Fru-Con
and the Ohio Department of Transportation are working on a plan to use that
crane to complete the project.

Fru-Con, a St. Louis-area construction firm, has 15 days from receipt of the
citations to appeal before the independent Occupational Safety and Health
Review Commission.

The Blade reported today that the Lucas County prosecutor's office was
reviewing the OSHA report. The prosecutor could bring criminal negligence
charges in the case. However, a decision on whether to seek charges, either
against Fru-Con or individuals, is not imminent, officials said.

In the accident, the men killed were Robert Lipinski, Jr., 44, of Grand
Rapids, Ohio; Mike Moreau, 30, of Lambertville, and Mike Phillips, 42, of
South Toledo. Arden Clark, 47, of West Toledo died two days later at St.
Vincent Mercy Medical Center.

Injured were Josh Collins, 26, of East Toledo; Al Hedge, 46, of Bradner;
Roger Henneman, 43, of Curtice, and Mark Buck, 47, of Swanton.

Mr. Buck and Mr. Hedge are members of Operating Engineers Local 18.

The other injured men are members of Ironworkers Local 55, as were the four
men who died.

In March, during a routine inspection unrelated to the accident, inspectors
said they found serious safety hazards that exposed workers to possible
injury and even death.

OSHA cited Fru-Con for five violations of federal safety laws and proposed
$23,000 in fines.

The company was accused of not taking adequate measures to protect employees
working on scaffolding from falling or to protect those on the ground from
being struck by falling objects.

Fru-Con notified OSHA's Toledo office in May that it will contest all of the
citations.

A spokesman said the company does not believe that the potential for injury
was as serious as the agency indicated.

The problems were discovered during inspections March 18 and 19 at the
construction site in East Toledo. No injuries resulted.

OSHA classified the infractions as "serious," its second-most severe
sanction.

Fru-Con corrected the problems as soon as inspectors pointed them out.

--
Sean Lyons

Post by Sean Lyons
From WTOL-11 News
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=2112000
TOLEDO (AP) -- The federal government says the builder of a bridge where
four construction workers were killed violated workplace safety standards
and should be fined $280,000.
Four men were killed and four others hurt in the February 16th collapse in
Toledo. They were working on the Interstate 280 bridge over the Maumee River
when a 1,000 ton crane collapsed.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says Fru-Con

Construction

Post by Sean Lyons
failed to comply with the manufacturers' instructions for the safe operation
of the crane. OSHA says the company did not sufficiently anchor the crane to
the concrete piers and failed to use the needed anchoring bars for the back
legs of the crane.
Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates says her office also is reviewing
documents collected by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health
Administration. She says the review doesn't necessarily mean there was
criminal conduct.
The Ohio Department of Transportation will hold a news conference at 2:30
p.m. at the bridge project field office, just north of the accident site.
I will provide more information when it becomes available.
--
Sean Lyons
http://www.great-lakes-hwys.org/michigan/Countysigns
http://www.great-lakes-hwys.org/ohio/Countysigns
http://www.great-lakes-hwys.org/indiana/Countysigns

[Barry L. Camp]

If these allegations hold, the contractor will have worked on it's last job.
I can see them not winning any more work, and their carcass being sued out
of existence.

It also is going to make me jittery driving over the thing, once completed.

[Sean Lyons]

Actually, Barry, they [Fru-Con] bid on and were awarded a contract to
replace the OH-108/Perry Street bridge in Napoleon, Ohio, over the Maumee
River. But, now that the OSHA report came out, does ODOT accept the bid?
From The Toledo Blade's July 24 edition...

Fru-Con Construction Corp., the contractor building a new I-280 bridge in
Toledo, received an Ohio Department of Transportation contract yesterday to
replace the Perry Street bridge in Napoleon. The Ballwin, Mo.-based firm's
bid was opened last week, but needed to be checked before the contract was
awarded. Fru-Con will do the work for $19,855,219.46, or 6.4 percent less
than the state's estimate.
Fru-Con will build the new bridge to carry State Rt. 108 over the Maumee
River from pre-cast concrete segments. Casting facilities will be set up
later this summer, but the exact date for closing the old bridge has not yet
been determined, ODOT said. Once the bridge closes, Fru-Con will have 250
days to demolish and replace it. The contractor will be eligible to receive
$10,000 per day for early completion, up to a maximum of $250,000.

--

It appears the only reason they wanted this one is to use their pre-cast
concrete plant in East Toledo a bit more, or to set up a new facility near
Napoleon. To be honest, the company scares me. After getting smacked with
a $280,000 fine, I would feel the same as you, Barry, that the company has
worked their last project. I just don't want to walk out my front door and
see all the concrete on the bridge falling down. I doubt it will happen,
but...

Sean

Post by Barry L. Camp
If these allegations hold, the contractor will have worked on it's last job.
I can see them not winning any more work, and their carcass being sued out
of existence.
It also is going to make me jittery driving over the thing, once completed.

[Macka Spliff Yamamoto]

Post by Barry L. Camp
If these allegations hold, the contractor will have worked on it's last job.
I can see them not winning any more work, and their carcass being sued out
of existence.
It also is going to make me jittery driving over the thing, once completed.

Gotta love the "lowest bidder" system. You get what you pay for :)