Construction at the new Penn-assisted school building, halted since an accident last month, finally resumed this past week.
On Aug. 20, two employees of Jonasz Precast Inc. of Westville, N.J., fell approximately 20 feet when the pre-cast concrete flooring plank they were installing broke.
Thomas Lamarra Jr., 36, and John Jonasz, 35, were involved in the incident, which sent them both the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
The month-long delay was necessitated because Jonasz Precast reportedly walked off the site following the incident and replacements needed to be found, according to Alexandra Handago, who is overseeing the construction for Penn. Cornell and Company, also of Westville, is now installing the flooring units.
"We're back up and running," said Steve Berry, project manager with Turner Construction Company of Philadelphia, which is the construction manager.
Citing the advice of their insurance company, Jonasz Precast declined to comment on the situation.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which halted construction for a few days after the accident, has allowed the project to continue.
OSHA spokeswoman Phyllis Kiner said the administration's final report on the accident will not be ready for at least a month.
Berry maintains that the original erection procedure was safe, and that the new contractor will not deviate from the previous construction plans.
"I never thought [the procedure] wasn't safe," Berry said. "The accident just happened. You never expect it."
Berry said he does not anticipate the incident will affect the project's June 30 completion date.
"It just means that we have to work harder," he said.
However, Handago said that Turner had requested to extend the deadline two weeks, to July 15, 2002. This would not be a problem, she said.
"We have plenty of wiggle room," Handago said.
Both Penn and Turner expect lawsuits as a result of the accident, but neither case has yet been filed.
"Every time you have an accident, somebody's going to sue somebody," Berry said.
When the accident occurred, both Jonasz and Lamarra were admitted to HUP with multiple fractures but stable vital signs. Jonasz was released three days after the accident, but Lamarra remained in fair condition in the intensive care unit last night.
Judy Lamarra, Thomas' wife, declined to comment on the possibility of a lawsuit.
