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])