BOISE, Idaho — OSHA investigation into the collapsed hangar at the Boise Airport is complete. OSHA's Area Director told me Big D Builders was cited with one willful violation and three serious violations of federal safety regulations and they proposed almost 200 thousand dollars in penalties and listed Inland Crane for exposing workers to collapse hazards.
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- OSHA's six month investigation into the collapsed hangar at the Boise Airport is complete.
- Big D Builders and Inland Crane Company were both cited with serious violations.
- OSHA's report says the serious accident could have been prevented.
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(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
David Kearns is the area director for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and was very direct in his wording of the report. “I would say it was very strongly worded, whenever a tragedy like this occurs, and when it’s preventable, we feel pretty strongly about it.”
Big D Builders cited with one willful violation and three serious violations of federal safety regulations and proposed almost 200 thousand dollars in penalties and Inland Crane for exposing workers to collapse hazards.
Kearns added. “Our investigation found from the moment they first raised their first portion of the structure things were out of plum things were a little wavy they had cables snapping and they continued to work to erect more and more portions of this building and as the weeks progressed it just deteriorated and our huge concerns are here that they didn’t get that first portion right and continued to build and build exposing workers to it, and unfortunately the end result was that the whole thing ended up coming down.”
Big D said given the pending lawsuit they have no comment on the report, and its findings but Inland Crane sent us this statement.
“OSHA recently informed Inland Crane that their investigation confirms our initial assessment that neither Inland Crane employees nor equipment were responsible for the hangar collapse. Inland Crane extends its deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragic incident.” Inland added the proposed citation relates to worker exposure not causation.
The ultimate point that Director Kearns wants to get across. “When we have so many lives lost so many people injured so many lives turned upside down and you had signs for two to three days that things weren’t right, it’s time to full stop, time out here we got to figure out what to do to make things right and sadly that did not happen here.”
Both Big D Builders and Inland Crane can appeal O.S.H.A.’s report. Enrique Serna the attorney representing the families of two of the three victims will hold a press conference tomorrow in Boise. Serna listed both companies in lawsuit filed weeks ago, that also included two other companies.
