Investigation points to human error, blames subcontractor for accident at arena site

An accident last month on the construction site of Louisville???s coming downtown arena is being blamed on ???human error??? by workers associated with Indianapolis-based subcontractor F.A. Wilhelm Construction Co. Inc.

A section of concrete flooring on the arena???s main concourse collapsed in the April 27 incident, injuring three workers.

Two of the three workers were treated for minor injuries and returned to work the next day, according to officials with Minneapolis-based M.A. Mortenson Co., the construction manager for the arena project. The other worker suffered a puncture wound to his arm and has not yet returned.

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Mortenson released findings from its investigation of the accident during this morning???s regular monthly meeting of the Louisville Arena Authority Inc. at the Kentucky International Convention Center.

The company hired Suffern, N.Y.-based Geiger Engineers to conduct the investigation. It determined that the collapse occurred because Wilhelm failed to install more than 20 shoring posts to support the concrete section, which is located on the northernmost edge of the project site, near River Road. Other posts were incorrectly installed.

Wilhelm employees on site also failed to detect the error, according to the investigation.

John Wood, a Mortenson principal and senior vice president, called the incident ???very serious??? and ???unacceptable.???

It resulted in the first lost-time accident for Mortenson since 2003.

???It could have been prevented,??? Wood said. ???It shouldn???t have happened.???

Officials with Wilhelm did not attend today???s arena authority meeting.

Guthrie/Mayes Public Relations has been hired to represent the firm in its dealings with the media.

Dan Hartlage, a principal with the company, said Wilhelm officials don???t usually attend the meetings and were not asked to do so this month.

Hartlage said he was unsure if anyone was fired over last month???s incident.

Wilhelm released a statement later in the day, which said that the ???safety of our people is the first priority??? for any of the company???s projects.

???We take with the utmost seriousness any issue which may involve safety or quality on our projects. ??? No accident or injury is acceptable on a Wilhelm project, and Wilhelm deeply regrets that this incident occurred,??? the statement said.

Separate investigations into the accident have been conducted by the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration and by the arena authority.

The OSHA report is expected by the end of the month.

Findings from the arena authority???s investigation were released at today???s meeting. The review was prompted by a WHAS-TV report that included a Wilhelm employee???s assertions that safety was being comprised and complaints ignored at the arena site, according to arena authority chairman Jim Host.

The $238 million, 22,000-seat arena is being built at Second and Main streets. Its primary tenants will be the University of Louisville???s men???s and women???s basketball teams.

The arena authority asked attorneys with its legal counsel, Frost Brown Todd LLC, to look into the allegations, Host said.

After a thorough review of the site and interviews with ???dozens??? of individuals involved, no other unsafe conditions or unheeded complaints were uncovered, he said.

As a result of the incident, Mortenson is implementing a number of procedures to ensure that similar problems don???t occur again, according to Wood.

The Minnesota firm has required Wilhelm to hire an independent, third-party structural engineering firm to review and approve its work before concrete is poured.

Mortenson is resuming pre-pour inspections that had been delegated to Wilhelm. It also has dispatched one of its concrete specialists from Minneapolis to provide continuous supervision of the remainder of Wilhelm???s work on the project.

Mortenson also is reiterating its quality-control and safety requirements to all subcontractors and on-site workers, Wood said.

???This was a very big deal,??? he said.

Wood said last month???s accident won???t delay completion of the downtown arena. It is scheduled to open in November 2010.

He added that no costs associated with investigating the incident or repairing the damage will be borne by the arena authority.

Host said in an interview with reporters after the meeting that he ???wasn???t very pleased??? with last month???s accident but that he remains ???totally confident??? in Mortenson.

Host also said Wilhelm has a solid reputation nationally in the construction of sports facilities. He characterized the accident as ???a mistake??? and ???one of those things that happens.???

In Louisville, Wilhelm performed concrete construction at Papa John???s Cardinal Stadium and the parking garage at Louisville International Airport.