Sunday, July 19, 2015

Westerville, Ohio-based Kokosing Construction fined, cited for deadly Hopple bridge collapse in Ohio


A federal investigation found "inadequate" demolition plans caused January's fatal Hopple Street bridge collapse – and the company responsible for the incident has been levied a fine and cited for two major violations.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Wednesday fined Westerville, Ohio-based Kokosing Construction $14,000 for its role in the Interstate 75 overpass incident that killed 35-year-old foreman Brandon Carl of Augusta, Kentucky.

"This man and father of four died in a preventable workplace incident," OSHA area director Ken Montgomery said. "His family will never recover from that loss and the loss of livelihood. Kokosing Construction has taken steps to prevent a similar tragedy from happening in the future."

Independent bridge experts and Kokosing CEO Brian Burgett told The Enquirer in exclusive interviews soon after the incident that it appeared a flawed demolition plan played a key role in the overpass collapse. OSHA's report officially confirmed that was a major contributing factor to the bridge falling onto southbound Interstate 75 as crews prepared to tear it down the night of Jan. 19.

Here is a look at OSHA's report on the violation, which the agency called "serious:"

• The bridge "was not of sufficient strength to support the equipment due to an engineering error," according to the report. A trackhoe excavator, which weighed around 90,000 pounds, was on the bridge when it fell.
• The "engineering survey for demolition of the (bridge) was inadequate in that (it) did not account for the fact that it was a doubled hinged bridge," the report said.

"This is not surprising," said Richard Miller, a University of Cincinnati civil engineering professor who has provided ongoing analysis of the incident at The Enquirer's request.

OSHA considers a serious violation an incident when an employer knows of or should know of a situation that has a definite chance of causing serious injury or death, but does not remedy it. The maximum fine for a single serious violation is $7,000, which is what OSHA imposed on each of the Hopple Street violations.
OSHA and Kokosing have concluded separate investigations into the incident. The state's investigation is ongoing, and the Ohio Department of Transportation does not have a timetable for its completion.

"With OSHA issuing its report, we're going to want to get our evaluation concluded," ODOT spokesman Brian Cunningham said.




The state investigation is critical, considering Kokosing has long been one of ODOT's preferred contractors. In 2014, the company ranked No. 3 among the highest-paid contractors in Ohio, receiving $189 million in state taxpayer money, according to the state treasurer transparency website 
ohiocheckbook.com.

Here at home, Kokosing is the lead contractor on Cincinnati's two highest-profile highway projects – the $91 million I-75/Hopple Street interchange overhaul and the new $101 million I-71/MLK Drive interchange. Both interchanges will provide the main interstate access points into Uptown, the region's second-largest jobs center.

In a separate report released Wednesday, OSHA also found Kokosing has made mistakes on the I-71/MLK Drive interchange. Kokosing was fined $5,000 for committing a "serious" violation while performing excavation work on the project. The violation was not related to bridge demolition.

OSHA cited and fined Kokosing because employees "were exposed to potential cave in hazards" while working in a 5-foot, 8-inch deep trench "without adequate sidewall protection," according to a report. Kokosing is building an entirely new interchange that requires a lot of excavation in Avondale and Walnut Hills in preparation for building new ramps and lanes.

Kokosing has long had a strong safety record, but the violations on the projects could lead to increased scrutiny. Cunningham said it would not be appropriate to discuss whether the violations will impact future business dealings between the state and Kokosing.

UC's Miller suggested Kokosing may already be facing increased scrutiny from OSHA. The Hopple Street incident might have prompted the agency to take a closer look at Kokosing's work on the I-71/MLK Drive interchange project.

"Kokosing has a really good reputation," Miller said. "But there's going to be pressure on OSHA to have a little more scrutiny on them. It's typical human nature when someone makes a mistake, you're going to keep a closer eye on them. As a dad, the first time your kid wrecks the car, you are extremely vigilant the next time he takes it out."

By most accounts, Kokosing has taken a closer look at itself. In February, Kokosing CEO Burgett said his company made mistakes and apologized for the incident. He promised Kokosing would make immediate changes to the company's bridge demolition policies.

Among those changes: An independent engineering firm would review and approve all of Kokosing's bridge demolition plans moving forward.


In April, Kokosing successfully demolished an old I-71 railroad bridge as part of the Uptown interchange work. Documents obtained by The Enquirer that month showed an Indianapolis-based engineering firm had reviewed and approved the demolition plan. It was Kokosing's first major bridge demolition in Cincinnati since the Hopple Street incident.

Kokosing has received praise from the public, bridge experts and government officials for taking responsibility for the bridge collapse and being proactive about making changes.

"We have already taken steps to make sure a tragedy like this never happens again," Burgett said Wednesday, reiterating what he said earlier this year. "We have ... conducted a top to bottom review of our safety procedures, and continue to conduct one of the most robust safety programs in the construction industry."