Feds probing construction accident that left 3 injured

A federal regulatory agency is investigating a Friday morning accident at the Martin Marietta Magnesia Specialties facility north of Woodville that injured three workers.

Workers from the San Antonio, Texas, construction company CCC Group Inc. erecting a rebar concrete form in the northwest corner of the facility were hurt when the structure collapsed around 9:40 a.m., according to Woodville Fire Chief Paul Hineman.

Richard Hahnel, corporate safety director for CCC Group, said all three workers, who were hospitalized after falling about 24 feet to the ground, were released from Toledo hospitals Friday afternoon with minor bumps and bruises.

"They were even asking us if they could go back to work tomorrow," Hahnel said.

The names of those injured have not been released by the company, he said, because of concerns over federal health care privacy laws.

Two of the workers were taken by Life Flight helicopters to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center and University of Toledo Medical Center, Hineman said. The third worker suffered less serious injuries and was taken from the scene by ambulance, Hineman said.

Hahnel said paramedics made the decision to transport the injured workers by helicopter because of the remote location of the Woodville facility.

"It was a precaution," he said.

Martin Marietta has started an internal investigation into the cause of the collapse and closed down work on that portion of the site, said Joe Reilly, vice president and general manager at the facility.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration, which monitors safety at the facility, also is investigating the collapse, MSHA spokesperson Amy Louviere said.

Reilly said Friday the company doesn't yet know the extent of the workers' injuries or how the collapse occurred.

"We don't understand what happened yet," Reilly said.

"We are very concerned about the individuals."

The MSHA ordered the facility shut down the affected area immediately and investigators from the administration have been dispatched to Woodville to look into the incident, she said.

Hahnel said he and project engineers also will travel to the area to investigate why the rebar collapsed.

"We don't know why it fell," he said.

"We want to get down to it and find out what has happened."

High winds overnight Thursday or the quality of the rebar itself could have been contributing factors, Hahnel said, though nothing has been determined. The workers were properly tied off to the structure, he said, which explains why their injuries weren't more serious.

The construction on Friday was part of an ongoing expansion project at the facility to add a sixth lime kiln, estimated to cost about $53 million. The project received a $236,015 tax credit from the Ohio Department of Development, since the addition is expected to add 15 permanent jobs and 150 temporary jobs during the construction process. The company expects to retain 160 jobs though the expansion.

Martin Marietta Magnesia Specialties produces magnesia-based chemicals for industrial, environmental and agricultural uses, as well as fiber-reinforced composite materials used for transportation and military applications.

Emergency crews -- including Woodville firefighters, Sandusky County paramedics, Allen-Clay Joint Fire District firefighters, a Sandusky County Sheriff deputy and a Woodville police officer -- cleared the scene around 10:45 a.m. Friday.

Source: Mark Tower, The News-Messenger