WORKERS INJURED IN FALL AT CONSTRUCTION SITE

Two Carter-Moore Construction Co. workers were injured during a fall at a construction site in Nash Road Industrial Park Tuesday morning.

The workers -- wearing safety harnesses -- were working about seven feet above a catwalk platform, when their scaffolding broke, plunging the workers downward.

The men were working about 60 feet above the ground, but were only seven feet over the catwalk. Initial reports indicated that when the scaffolding broke, the workers' fall was broken by their safety harness, just above the catwalk.

"The workers were strapped in a harness, which broke their fall," said Ken Crowe, a spokesman for Gray Construction, the primary contractor on the job of expanding BioKyowa's feed grade amino acid L-lysine plant.

Crowe said reports from the medical center late Wednesday afternoon indicated that no bones were broken, but that the workers would remain there overnight for observation.

Names of the worker were not released.

The catwalk was instrumental in rescue operations, said Cape Girardeau fireman, who had responded to the call and helped in moving the men to the ground.

The injured workers were placed on boards and carried downstairs to the waiting ambulances, which transported them to St. Francis Medical Center.

Firemen, construction workers and the ambulance crews all assisted in the operation.

"The emergence response the to the incident was great," said Crowe. "We were well pleased with the response. Ambulances and a fire truck were on the scene soon after the accident."

BioKyowa Inc. is the midst of two large building projects: an expansion of the production facilities for poultry and swine supplements, expected to be complete this summer, and construction of a new Kyowa Food plant, a food supplement manufacturing facility, which will open this fall or winter.

Total expansion and construction of the new facility amounts to about $85 million.