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Casino collapse being investigated by OSHA

From WHIO-TV: Photos from the collapse At whiotv.com
From ONN: Video from the scene At onntv.com
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The beam shown here gave way Friday morning, Jan. 27, injuring about a dozen construction workers at the Horseshoe Casino site in Cincinnati.

Staff photo by Greg Lynch The beam shown here gave way Friday morning, Jan. 27, injuring about a dozen construction workers at the Horseshoe Casino site in Cincinnati.

By John Nolan, Staff Writer Updated 7:43 PM Friday, January 27, 2012

CINCINNATI — About a dozen construction workers were injured Friday morning in a collapse at the site where a $400 million gambling casino is being built in downtown Cincinnati, the city fire chief said.

Construction workers were taken by the fire department to area hospitals after the 7:45 a.m. collapse at the site of what will be the Horseshoe Casino. The injuries include broken bones, bumps and bruises. None are life-threatening.

There were two casino workers taken to Good Samaritan Hospital that were listed in fair condition, spokesman Joe Kelley said.

One worker was driven by ambulance to Bethesda North. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, his condition has been downgraded from fair to serious condition, Kelley said.

The workers were pouring concrete in a 60-foot by 60-foot section on the third floor, described as a “bay,” when a beam gave way, Fire Chief Richard Braun said.

“It went down in a ‘V.’ The workers on top rode it down,” Braun said.

Messer Construction, the general contractor for the project, shut down work for the day while company officials assess the damage.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was called in to begin investigating the incident.

The collapse caused nearby roadways to close for a short time, and a meeting Friday to discuss the financial aspects of the Cincinnati Streetcar project was postponed.

Steve Rosenthal, principal in Rock Gaming LLC, a partner in the casino project said the construction will not resume at the site until OSHA officials and construction managers determine it is safe to do so.

Currently, the opening date is set for sometime in Spring 2013. It is one of four casinos, including the Columbus and Cincinnati markets, authorized by Ohio voters.

The casino is being developed by Rock Gaming in partnership with Caesar’s Entertainment. The same team is behind a casino project in downtown Cleveland where a garage partially collapsed on Dec. 16. A 60-foot by 60-foot second-level section of the parking deck gave way while concrete was being poured. No one was injured.

State Sen. Bill Seitz, who had been briefed by Rock lobbyist and former Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken, told the Associated Press the two concrete companies working on the job were Baker Concrete and Johnson Concrete.

The Cincinnati casino is supposed to attract nearly 6 million visitors and create 1,700 jobs, said Lee Dillard, vice president of finance for the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland. It will feature three outward-facing restaurants, about 2,000 slot machines, 85 table games and a 31-table World Series of Poker room.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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