Construction worker hurt in West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- A construction worker is recovering tonight after being hurt while on the job. The man was working on the New Britain to Hartford busway project when a big beam hit him.

Working in construction especially on mammoth projects carries certain risks as many were reminded in West Hartford on Friday morning. A crane moving a large beam hit an unidentified man.

"Worker was up on top of the tressel there, and there's an i-beam up there and it shifted suddenly and struck him," said Chief Richard Winn, West Hartford Fire Dept.

The work being done is part of the almost 550 million dollar "Connecticut Fastrak," or busway project. One of the piers the worker was standing on will eventually support Flatbush Avenue, that will go over the busway.

"He landed right on the wall," said Chief Winn.

Flatbush Avenue was closed for sometime as firefighters did their work. Meanwhile the fire chief tells us OSHA is investigating this incident, even though the employee was tethered.

"Even if he had gotten knocked off the wall, he would have only dropped so far. He was tethered, we did check that and OSHA's actually investigating right now," said Chief Winn.

OSHA shut down the site for day and work should resume by Massachusetts based "Middlesex" on Monday.

"He was talking with our people when they got up there and was still talking when we shipped him off to the hospital," said Chief Winn.