Seven construction workers were sent to hospitals for treatment Friday morning following the collapse at 7:45 a.m. of a second floor area during a concrete pour at the Horseshow Cincinnati Casino construction site in Downtown Cincinnati at the former roadway Commons site at Reading Road, Broadway and Court streets.

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Steve Rosenthal, Rock Gaming LLC, the developer of the casino, at a press conference held in the adjacent parking of the Greyhound Bus Terminal that a single bay of the facility collapsed as concrete was being poured. 

“All workers were accounted for, and several are being treated at area hospitals, Rosenthal said. “We can’t confirm the extent of injuries at this time.  We have representatives at the hospitals monitoring worker status and will provide another update as we received them. The site has been secured and our investigation into the cause of the incident will start immediately.’’

A full investigation by Rock Ohio Caesars Construction Team, the federal Occupational, Health and Safety Administration (OHSA) , City building inspectors, and the Cincinnati Fire Department is now underway to determine the cause of this morning’s collapse of a 60’x 60’ bay within the casino facility, he said.

“We are thankful to report that there were no life-threatening injuries to any workers who were in the area at the time of the incident. On behalf of the entire ownership and casino construction team, we wish those workers a quick recovery.  We would also like to thank Cincinnati’s firefighters, police and first-responders who provided on-site medical care, quickly transported workers to area hospitals and secured the site,’’ he said.

At this time the worksite is closed, and work will not resume until the construction team and OSHA determine that it is safe to do so, Rosenthal said. 

 The construction is on schedule for the opening of the casino in the spring of 2013, he said. Construction work has not been accelerated to meet that goal, he said in response to a question about whether such a scenario might have posed safety problems at the site.

In a story within a story, a Greyhound bus turning into the terminal hit the front side of a WCPO-TV (Channel 9) van parked near the entrance to the terminal as the driver was turning into the terminal parking lot as the press conference was underway. There were no injuries as a result of that accident.