OSHA: Worker being crushed by 15,000-lb. concrete barrier was 'preventable incident'

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A family is looking for answers after a father of two was killed when crushed underneath a sound barrier going up along Interstate 295.

OSHA investigators say they have already uncovered major safety issues at the site. Alexander Cordova was crushed under the 15,000-pound concrete noise barrier. The father of two was originally from Cuba.

"He came here to provide a living for his family," said Brian Sturtecky with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Sturtecky sat down with Action News Monday to talk about the investigation. Sturtecky said they've discovered some big problems in just the last four days since it happened. In a picture given to us by OSHA, the crane is not attached to the noise barrier, which OSHA said it should be.

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OSHA also tells us this was the first time Cordova had been to the construction site after picking up three noise barriers from Concrete Impressions of Florida in Deland. It was also the first time Cordova had ever delivered noise barriers. We're told there was a language barrier as well.

"He spoke Spanish. The foreman did not, the crane operator did not. How did they communicate what had to be done?" said Sturtecky.

Sturtecky said the language barrier is part of a bigger problem.

"Twelve Latino workers die every week while doing the hardest and most dangerous jobs in America," said Sturtecky.

He said now they'll be looking into whether Cordova was trained properly in the first place. We asked if it was preventable.

"One hundred percent. It was not an accident. It was a preventable incident," said Sturtecky.

We called Concrete Impressions of Florida and they said they have no comment on what happened. We're told they had already installed two barriers before this one fell, so OSHA will also look at the process used to install those.

We did ask if cordova was in the country legally. OSHA cannot say; we are currently working to get those answers from the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
               
OSHA does say cordova had a valid commercial driver's license.

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