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Dive Brief:
- A federal workplace inspection of a collapsed Idaho hangar while under construction, killed three workers and injured eight others, has resulted in more than $200,000 in initial fines for two contractors on the project, the Labor Department announced Monday.
- OSHA said it found evidence that Meridian, Idaho-based Big D Builders Inc. failed to follow regulations when it erected the hangar at a Boise airfield, leaving many critical connection bolts loose and using straps to straighten the lights instead of installing additional braces or a temporary type. lines for steel erection standards.
- The agency also claims the contractor failed to properly train workers on how to build steel spans and allowed cranes and other heavy equipment to operate in mud and standing water, putting workers at risk of overturning the team
Diving knowledge:
The hangar at the Boise airport collapsed on January 31, killing Mariano Coc Och, 32, Mario Sontay Tsi, 24, and Craig Durrant, 59. Durrant was the co-founder of Big D Builders.
The families of Tsi and Och filed a lawsuit against the builders Earlier this month, they alleged that Big D Builders and local companies Steel Building Systems, Inland Crane and Speck Steel conspired to quickly finish the project with insufficiently safe and effective materials.
OSHA inspectors determined that Big D Builders had begun erecting the hangar without sufficient reinforcement or tension cables. The contractor also allegedly ignored signs that the structure was unstable, such as bent beams and unbalanced cables.
As a result, Big D Builders faces one willful violation and three serious violations, totaling $198,586 in initial penalties.
“Big D Builders’ blatant disregard for federal safety regulations cost the lives of three workers and resulted in at least eight others suffering painful injuries,” said OSHA Area Director David Kearns in Boise , Idaho, in the release. “The company’s irresponsible construction methods left the aircraft hangar structure extremely vulnerable.”
Big D Builders did not respond to Construction Dive’s request for comment by the time of publication.
OSHA also cited Boise-based Inland Crane Inc., the project’s crane contractor, with a serious safety violation, proposing an initial fine of $10,163.
“OSHA recently informed Inland Crane that its investigation confirms our initial assessment that neither Inland Crane employees nor equipment were responsible for the hangar collapse,” the company’s statement said. “Inland Crane extends its deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragic incident.”
Companies have 15 working days to respond by paying, requesting an informal meeting or contesting the fines.
