((HT: WHAS-TV))
The general contractor for the downtown arena project is defending its reputation.
After a concrete collapse injured three workers Monday, another worker who witnessed the accident alleges widespread safety issues at the construction site.
But, in an exclusive interview with WHAS11’s Joe Arnold, Mortensen Construction Senior Vice-President John Wood calls the concrete collapse a "serious event" that will be investigated thoroughly and completely.
But Wood calls "preposterous" the allegation that his safety personnel aren't competent.
Wood says the facts are just the opposite, offering as an example that after a similar arena project in Kansas City, Mortensen was honored as the safest contractor in Missouri.
After Monday's accident, which included rebar tearing through one worker’s arm, Wood is taking great pains to stress Mortensen's commitment to safety on the Louisville arena project.
“It is of great concern to us. We view it as an unacceptable event and we will get to the bottom of it and make sure it doesn't happen again,” Wood said.
Wood is leading a five-member Mortensen team investigating the collapse, joined by Kentucky inspectors and three independent structural engineering firms.
“They'll be looking at not only the temporary construction that was supporting the concrete structure,” Wood explained, “but also the materials and systems that were being incorporated into the concrete structure itself.”
Wood says it’s too early to draw any conclusions about what caused the incident, but he did agree to respond to allegations leveled by one arena construction worker who said the project has safety and quality control problems.
In an interview aired Tuesday on WHAS11 News, Charlie Molen, a laborer with more than thirty years of experience on construction projects in Louisville spoke of his concerns.
“I have never been on a project where I've felt as insecure safety wise as I do on this project,” says Molen .
“’Push. Push. Push. Push. Get it done. Get it done. Get it done.’” Molen described an attitude that prioritizes job completion more than job safety.
“Now, this is the first time I've worked for this company,” Molen acknowledged, “so I don't know what their other projects are like.”
The Mortensen executive says the company puts safety first in all of its projects.
“We were not aware of any suggestions or concerns that Mr. Molen had raised, but that had been disregarded by anybody in our organization,” Wood continued. “But the fact that he said that is a grave concern to me and we will get to the bottom of that.”
While Charlie Molen is the only worker of about 250 on the site to make the accusation, several contractors have jumped to Mortensen's defense -- including the engineering firm hired by the Arena Authority to inspect the structural components of the project.
“We've been on numerous sites,” said Patriot Engineering’s Mike Vaught, “and this is probably one of the first sites I've been on that they adamantly tell you to report unsafe conditions.”
Beyond worker safety, the builder says with top of the line architects, engineers and contractors on the job, the isolated incident on Monday is not a reflection of the arena's construction.
“We have absolute confidence in the quality of the work that's being produced,” Wood said.
Meanwhile, a state labor official says Mortensen has granted unprecedented access to state inspectors throughout the arena construction, adding that “contractors with something to hide wouldn't do that.”
And, regarding the 26-month timeline of the arena construction, Wood says that's right in line with their other major arena projects in Memphis, Denver and Minneapolis.
Here's coverage from Dick Irby and our friends from WDRB-Fox 41 in Louisville at the time of the accident.
WHAS-TV's coverage can be found by clicking in black...
Raw tape from an interview with Mortensen Construction is in black here...
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