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Ironworkers were preparing to attach a rebar template to the side of a form wall on May 25 at the lab site.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s when Daniels fell approximately 23 feet, striking a diagonal brace before landing on the concrete slab below, according to the DOE accident report.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Co-workers responded to Daniels within seconds of the fall, according to the report. But because the nearest first aid kit was located approximately 150 yards away from the accident location in a construction trailer, workers used a bandana to wipe away blood from Daniels\u2019 mouth.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If the first aid kit had been closer to the scene, it is more likely workers would have used sealed and sanitized articles from the kit, including gloves that could have reduced their exposure to blood-borne pathogens, according to the accident report.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n When paramedics arrived on scene, due to the severity of the injuries, they opted for an airlift via helicopter to the hospital to save time. But that decision ultimately cost Daniels roughly 25 minutes more than if he had been transported to the hospital by ambulance, according to the accident investigation report. Later, Daniels was in a medically induced coma for nearly a month, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>according to the Chicago Tribune<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The report also identified several safety steps that weren\u2019t followed at the construction site, namely:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Collectively, these shortcomings suggest a systemic weakness and lack of attention to detail in managing project documentation among onsite project teams, according to the accident report.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n These root causes, if corrected, would prevent recurrence of the same or similar accidents in the future, according to the DOE.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Whittaker Construction declined to comment on the accident when contacted by Construction Dive. Attempts to reach the Fermi Research Alliance, Harris Rebar Placing and Nucor Harris Rebar Midwest were unsuccessful.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Kevin Bomstad, senior project manager for Whittaker, told the Tribune, \u201cwe are in the process of working toward a restart,\u201d according to a Sept. 14 article. \u201cIt was a severe accident, and I think we\u2019re all trying to cross our t\u2019s and dot our i\u2019s and comply. We\u2019re obviously anxious to return to work. But we understand there are certain measures that need to be taken on all parts.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Proton Improvement Plan II, a 10-year, $978 million project funded by the Department of Energy, which owns the Fermi National Accelerator Lab, is an essential upgrade to Fermilab\u2019s accelerator complex. The project is ultimately expected to enhance groundbreaking experiments in particle physics by creating a more powerful accelerator.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n