Feds Issue Big Penalty for Building Collapse Demolition Firm
Small comfort though it may be for the families affected by the June building collapse on Market Street, but OSHA–the federal government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration–has dinged two of the big players with nearly $400,000 dollars in fines: $383,000 for Campbell Construction, which led the demolition, and $84,000 for the contractor they hired. “This tragic incident could and should have been prevented,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels, in a press release.
Here’s what OSHA said Campbell Construction did wrong, according to the release.
- It “removed critical, structural supports for the wall that collapsed.”
- It “removed parts of the lower floors prior to the removal of the upper floor.”
- It “failed to provide an engineering survey as promised.”
They also got hit for more minor violations for, in part, failing to provide employees with hard hats and fall protection. S & R Construction, Campbell’s contractor, was fined for failing to protect employees from “falling through holes,” among other things. Yeah, that sounds like something they should have done. Both firms were hired by Richard Basciano’s company STB Investments, which owned the building being demolished.
