2 local contractors facing hefty fines after construction worker lost legs in Boston collapse

Frank O'Laughlin
·3 min read
5

Two local contractors have been cited and are facing hefty fines after a construction worker lost his legs in a mezzanine collapse in Boston earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Thursday.

NorthStar Contracting Group Inc. and the project’s Boston-based general contractor, Suffolk Construction Inc., failed to ensure adequate demolition and asbestos safeguards for their employees, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined following an investigation into the collapse of a concrete mezzanine platform on the west wall of the Boston Edison power plant in South Boston on May 5, officials said.

OSHA issued citations to NorthStar for three “willful” violations, four “serious” violations, and one “other-than-serious” violation of workplace safety standards. The agency also proposed $399,864 in penalties.

Specifically, OSHA found NorthStar failed to:

  • Conduct an engineering survey to determine the condition of the mezzanine and framing, and floors and walls during demolition operations to avoid the possibility of unplanned collapse.

  • Ensure a designated competent person performed or supervised required duties in the asbestos containment area, such as regular and frequent jobsite inspections, protecting the integrity of the enclosure and setting up and maintaining control of personnel entering the area.

  • Conspicuously post the safe weight load limit on the mezzanine floor where demolition and asbestos debris was being stored.

  • Train employees adequately to recognize and avoid collapse, struck-by, and crushing hazards.

  • Ensure employees entering and working in regulated asbestos containment areas wore respirators and did not have facial hair or beards that came between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face and/or interfered with valve function.

  • Remove asbestos containing waste by end of shift.

  • Provide OSHA 300 logs to investigators within four business hours.

Suffolk Construction was slapped with two willful and three serious citations. OSHA also proposed $292,116 in penalties for the company’s failure to:

  • Inspect the contractor’s work in the asbestos regulated containment area to ensure compliance with all aspects of the asbestos standard.

  • Ensure employees wearing respirators inside regulated asbestos containment areas did not have facial hair that came between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face and/or interfered with valve function.

  • Have a plan in place to prevent an unplanned collapse of the mezzanine.

  • Conspicuously post the safe weight load limit on the mezzanine floor where demolition and asbestos debris was being stored.

  • Provide frequent and regular inspections inside the asbestos control area of the mezzanine.

In addition to the man who lost his legs, two other workers were hurt in the collapse.

In a statement, OSHA Area Director James Mulligan said, “The employers in this case exposed employees to the immediate hazard of structural collapse and the potential long-term consequences of asbestos exposure. These hazards are preventable, and employers can control and eliminate them. Had they ensured proper planning – including engineering surveys and frequent and regular jobsite inspections, effective safety procedures, personal protective equipment and employee training – was in place, this incident and the violations that followed might have been avoided.”

The construction site was being developed by Hilco as retail, housing, and commercial space called L Street Station.

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