Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Lone Star Infrastructure is the main contractor for the huge project.

Barrientos Asking For Safety Report On SH 130 Construction

July 12, 2006

KSAN.com
Copyright 2006

An Austin lawmaker is asking several groups for safety reports on the largest highway construction project in Central Texas history -- State Highway 130.

The SH 130 toll road is meant to give drivers a parallel route to I-35.

State Senator Gonzalo Barrientos says he's asking TxDOT and construction companies for a report on the rate of injures and fatalities during SH 130 construction.

A company called Lone Star Infrastructure is the main contractor for the huge project. A spokeswoman told KXAN NBC Austin their safety record outperforms the industry average.
Supervisors say that every person who sets foot on the project goes through safety orientation, and there are also safety meetings that happen in the field.

In the three years since the project started, two people have died on the job.

"Certainly there are investigations that go through. We learn from those investigations, and we pass that information on and we include it in our training, improve our training," Lone Star Infrastructure Safety Supervisor Randee Wagstaff said.

"This is one of the projects I believe has gone over and beyond safety and the environment. We do extensive training for all employees, not just new hires," Safety Training Supervisor Ignacio Guerra.

There was a non-construction related accident at the project Wednesday. We're told two mechanics who were sent out to service equipment were injured when a pressure washer malfunctioned.

One of them had signs of burns around the mouth and nose. Both were taken to Brackenridge Hospital.

© 2006 WorldNow and KXAN. : www.kxan.com

pigicon