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Construction Companies Cited, Fined by S.C. OSHA Following Fatality

April 3, 2002

The collapse of a wall at a construction kills one worker and injures four others.

The South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited contractor Clancy & Theys Construction Co. and subcontractor General Masonry for serious safety violations following a February 4 accident at York Technical College that killed one worker and injured four others.

Larry Craig Jr. was killed and four coworkers were injured when a wall at the construction site of the college''s new Science and Technology building collapsed onto a scaffold. According to OSHA, Clancy & Theys and General Masonry failed to brace the masonry walls properly to prevent overturning and collapse.

OSHA investigators determined the masonry wall under construction and the wall that collapsed onto the scaffolding were not adequately braced given their height of more than 40 feet. Regulations require that masonry walls over 8 feet be properly braced. Winds as high as 30 mph were noted on the day of the incident, which could have contributed to the collapse.

Clancy & Theys, of Raleigh, N.C., was fined $5,000. Spokesman Ron Mikels said the company plans to appeal. General Masonry was fined $1,500. Nearly two months after she lost her son in the construction accident, Linda Craig said Thurs-day she misses him dearly.

Craig''s family complained the companies were not fined enough, considering the tragic outcome. Jim Knight, a spokesman for OSHA, said the company was fined based on its size and its violation history. He said the companies have 20 days to pay the fines or appeal.

by Sandy Smith ([email protected])

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EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.