November 6, 2009

Construction Injury at NSLS-II

On September 30, a contractor laborer working at the NSLS-II ring building construction site was struck by a load of rebar steel, resulting in a compound fracture of his lower right leg below the knee. Treatment has gone well, and he is expected to make a full recovery.

The emergency response to the scene was exceptional. Workers in the area responded to the scene and secured the rebar bundle while the on-site EMT provided immediate care to the injured laborer. BNL Emergency Services (ES) arrived within four minutes and was directed to the accident location by Torcon employees, who met ES at the access gate. This response process had been pre-arranged with the ES prior to the start of construction. ES personnel stabilized the injured laborer and transported him to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment.

Steve Dierker, Associate Laboratory Director for the Light Sources Directorate, immediately appointed an independent team to investigate the accident, determine the root cause and causal factors, and make recommendations for improvements. The team consists of safety experts from Brookhaven and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Ray Costa, from BNL’s Facilities and Operations Directorate, is heading the team, which includes Tom Conrad and Steve Kane, BNL Safety and Health Services; Ed Sierra, BNL Quality Management Office; and Dave Fuller, ORNL. The DOE Site Office and the Chicago Office are participating in observer and oversight roles. The team’s final report is due by November 13.

Both Torcon and BNL took initial and immediate corrective actions. These corrective actions will be expanded as the investigation committee completes its report and determines the root causes. One of the initial actions was retraining for mechanical material handling. A specific Phase Hazards Analysis also was developed for unloading and moving rebar using the fork truck. Additional corrective actions included daily safety meetings between the contractor and the project and the hiring of additional safety and field inspectors. BNL senior managers also met with the president and other senior managers of Torcon to review Brookhaven's expectations for safety and to discuss corrective actions that will be taken by Torcon and its subcontractors. This will ensure that the substantial amount of work remaining is completed safely.