Investigator reconstructing parking garage accident

Jeffrey Libby

Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2001 | 9:40 a.m.

The cause of a construction accident at the Henderson municipal parking garage, in which two concrete workers were injured, should be known within a month, a federal investigator said.

Don Watkins, an investigator with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said he has begun to reconstruct the accident, which occurred Friday at the 4 1/2 story, $7.2 million garage behind City Hall at the corner of Lead Street and Basic Road.

A 55-foot-long plywood and aluminum form for an entryway collapsed Friday afternoon as crews poured concrete. Two workers employed by Precision Concrete of North Las Vegas were hospitalized as a result of the accident.

Officials initially estimated that the form was collapsed by about 12,000 pounds of concrete. On Monday they said that the 45 yards of concrete weighed closer to 182,000 pounds.

About a dozen workers escaped with only scrapes. Roberto Sanchez, 29, was treated for a broken leg and released from University Medical Center Saturday. Kevan Walker, 51, was treated for cuts to his legs and face and was released from UMC Friday.

Watkins provided no details as to how his investigation would proceed, and he did not say whether investigators will interview workers at the site. He did say, however, that OSHA has Spanish-speaking staff members who can communicate with workers -- many of whom do not speak English -- at the job site.

OSHA has fined Precision Concrete $1,285 for four separate safety violations since work began on the garage last fall. The garage is scheduled for completion in late October.