Published: 12/14/2016 11:54:24 PM
Modified: 12/15/2016 10:41:51 AM
Lebanon — Two men were injured, one of them seriously, in a construction accident on Wednesday near the southbound Interstate 89 on-ramp at Exit 18.
The men were working in a manhole when a plug used to block a sewer pipe blew out and hit them, Lebanon Fire Chief Chris Christopolous said.
One of the men suffered a serious leg injury and had to be strapped to a backboard and carried out of the site by Lebanon police and fire personnel, while the other suffered a wrist injury. Officials haven’t released their names.
Both men were working on the I-89 sewer crossing project, a project that started about 1½ years ago and is headed by Kingsbury Construction Co.
Reached by phone on Wednesday afternoon, project manager Matias Miguez said one of the men worked for Kingsbury, while the other worked for A. Tedesco Masonry Inc., a company Kingsbury contracted with for masonry work.
Both men are expected to make full recoveries, Miguez said.
It isn’t exactly clear why the plug dislodged from the pipe and struck the men, Miguez said.
It could have had something to do with the gauge on it freezing up, he noted.
City Engineer Christina Hall, who works out of the Lebanon Public Works Department, said she suspects an investigation will be launched into the incident.
She said she wasn’t sure who would conduct such an investigation, whether it be the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or the Department of Labor.
Lebanon police and fire were dispatched to the on-ramp around 10:30 a.m. for a reported construction accident.
Once on scene, workers rushed to tend to the men, one of whom wasn’t able to climb out of the manhole due to his injuries.
Rescue personnel climbed inside and strapped him to a backboard and lifted him out, approximately 4½ feet, Christopolous said.
The other man was able to walk up the slope on his own.
Both men were transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
Despite the accident, Miguez, the project manager, said work is expected to continue as planned.
The company is replacing the sewer pipe that runs under the interstate.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.