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The Rice Thresher
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by Mark Berenson Thresher Editorial Staff
Nava, 38, was working on a concrete column on the second floor of the structure near the northeast corner of the construction site when he fell. Project Management and Planning Director Barbara White said Nava was wearing a harness equipped with two carabiner-like safety devices. Correct usage of the harness requires that both carabiners, oblong metal rings with a spring-loaded hinge commonly used for rock climbing and rappelling, be locked onto a concrete form. Investigations by Gilbane, the general contractor for the site, and the University Police said Nava was attached by only one carabiner, and it was not securely locked onto the concrete form. The second was not attached at all. University Police Chief Bill Taylor said when Nava leaned back, the carabiner disengaged and he fell through an open area where a stairwell will be located. Rice Emergency Medical Services was notified of the incident, and several emergency medical technicians responded, including REMS Director Noah Reiter, who was first on the scene. Reiter (Jones '00) said Nava was lying face-down and immobile in a large pool of blood. "It didn't look real promising," Reiter said. "I wasn't even certain he was still alive when I saw him as I was walking up." However, as Reiter got closer, he saw that Nava was breathing sporadically. With the help of a few construction workers, he rolled Nava onto his back and began treating him. Several other EMTs began arriving at the scene, including REMS Captain Christine Borgstrom, the on-duty supervisor. Borgstrom, a Jones College senior, said they stabilized Nava's neck and head and began assisting his breathing with a bag mask and oxygen. In addition, Nava was prepared for transportation to the hospital. An ambulance transported Nava to Ben Taub Hospital. According to Reiter, Nava was in the emergency room less than 15 minutes before he was sent to the operating room. Nava's injuries included a basal skull fracture, which caused trauma and swelling of the brain. In addition, he suffered a broken wrist, a broken forearm, a collapsed lung and crushed sinuses. Until April 10, Nava's brain was unresponsive and he was on a ventilator. He has improved since and is now responding to simple commands. As of press time, Nava was in critical condition in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit of Ben Taub and was still on a ventilator. On Wednesday, Nava underwent reconstructive surgery to repair his sinuses. According to Project Manager Eleni Soto, the prognosis for Nava's recovery is good. Soto said Nava's neurosurgeon told her he should have a full neurological recovery within six months. However, although his eyes and optic nerves are intact and functioning, his doctors are still unsure about the brain injury's effect on Nava's vision. White said Gilbane has reviewed all safety precautions related to fall protection at the site. On Wednesday afternoon, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration visited the site to assess its safety. White said Gilbane Project Manager Brent Ivey was told OSHA was not at liberty to discuss its findings, but that nothing disturbing had been found. White added that the OSHA inspector wanted to see the actual harness Nava was wearing when he fell. The harness is in a lock box at Keystone Structural Concrete. White said she expects a report from OSHA within a week. She said Gilbane followed Rice's accident procedures. "We were pleased that they followed all of our emergency crisis procedures and guidelines to the letter," White said. "They did a great job." White added that she was impressed with how Gilbane handled the immediate aftermath of the accident. "[Gilbane] was very careful to make sure that no one else would be at risk from the event having happened," White said. "They collected the entire group of workers from the site and they offered them the opportunity to leave for the day in case they had been upset. "They were very, very careful to interview every one of the workers that would be going up on the forms in subsequent days to make sure that everyone was emotionally ready to go up there." White said this was the first accident at the Jones School construction site. "Gilbane is really terrific in terms of safety concerns," White said. "They even reward people for doing routine jobs safely, and they have gone in excess of 300 days without an accident, which is quite impressive for a site of that size." White said Rice does not anticipate any legal action to be taken against the university in response to the accident. "Obviously, there is always a liability potential in a situation like this," White said. "But our concern is for the worker and to make sure that any safety issues are addressed on site immediately." White said Keystone had provided accommodations for Nava's family in a hotel adjacent to the hospital. "We have not been involved in [helping the family], but we absolutely want to understand how they are being taken care of and that their needs are being filled," White said.
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