No Prior OSHA Citations for PARTA Contractor

The firm that employed a Barberton man at the PARTA site last week has no prior citations from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Cleveland office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident that killed Russell Hirschfelt, 49, on March 27. Hirschfelt was employed by Lockhart Concrete, one of the sub contractors working on the $26 million transit center project in downtown Kent.

According to OSHA, Akron-based Lockhart Concrete has no prior citations from the labor department for safety or other job-site violations.

Work at the site continues but stopped temporarily the day after Hirschfelt died in the hospital as a result of his injuries. He was walking between a trackhoe and slabs of concrete when the machine moved and briefly pinned him between the two.

Julie Weis, acting area director in the Cleveland OSHA office, said previously it's too early in the investigation to say if it will be expanded to include PARTA and it's general contractor, Pennsylvania-based Quandel Construction Group, or if fines and penalties will be levied as a result of the death.

, the Portage Area Regional Transit Agency, is building that will include bus transfer bays, close to 400 public parking spaces, retail and commercial space and bicycle storage at 201 E. Erie St. Officials broke ground on the project in April 2011 thanks largely to a $20 million federal transportation grant, and the facility is expected to open in 2013.