DETROIT (FOX 2) - Two Michigan companies are facing fines after a collapse at a demolition site in Ohio killed two people last year.
Adamo, a general contractor based out of Detroit, and CM Engineering Demolition Inc., of East China, were cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration in connection with the Dec. 9, 2020, collapse of the Killen Power Generation Station’s building.
A laborer cutting steel and a truck driver preparing to move the scrap metal both died.
According to OSHA, both companies had multiple safety violations, including violations of the general duty clause and failing to inspect the site regularly to detect potential hazards resulting from the demolition process, such as weakened or deteriorated floors, walls, and loosened material.
OSHA also said that the companies allowed employees to continue working under hazardous conditions without adding shoring, bracing, or other means to steady the structure, and failed to train them on identifying potential hazards.
"Some of the most dangerous construction projects are those that involve demolishing buildings," said OSHA Area Director Kenneth Montgomery in Cincinnati. "This tragedy could have been prevented if the employer protected their workers with proper planning, training and appropriate personal protective equipment and by complying with OSHA standards."
OSHA proposed penalties of $181,724 to Adamo for one willful, repeat, serious violation and other-than-serious safety violations, and proposed penalties of $12,288 for SCM Engineering faces for three serious violations.
Both companies have 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.