Washington Contractors Penalized for Endangering Workers with 22-Foot Dirt Wall

A crew of concrete workers faced significant risks during a recent home construction project in Spokane, leading the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) to impose fines totaling $300,000. The fines were issued due to the workers being exposed to potential cave-ins and excavation hazards.

The general contractor, Better Builders of Spokane LLC, along with its subcontractor, VS Concrete LLC, were cited for multiple willful and serious violations related to cave-in hazards. Alarmingly, Better Builders reportedly ignored a stop work order and even removed it after it had been posted by an inspector.

The situation came to light when the local building department alerted L&I after observing several VS Concrete employees working dangerously close to a 22-foot high, nearly vertical dirt wall. These workers were positioned in a narrow gap between the dirt wall and the concrete foundation, lacking adequate cave-in protection and escape routes in the event of a collapse, according to L&I reports.

In response to the identified hazards, both the county and L&I mandated that work at the site cease until the dangers were addressed. However, Better Builders reportedly refused to comply with L&I’s order. After an inspector posted the order himself, the company removed it, and when L&I reposted it, the property owner took it down again. Disturbingly, less than two weeks after the initial inspection, VS Concrete workers were photographed once more working in violation of the state order, this time between 10-foot-high concrete forms and the massive dirt wall.

L&I imposed a fine of $121,840 on Better Builders for four willful serious and four serious violations. These included failing to provide an adequate engineer’s design for excavations exceeding 20 feet, not ensuring that its subcontractor’s workers were protected from hazards, and violating the order of immediate restraint.

Meanwhile, VS Concrete faced a hefty fine of $183,040 for seven willful serious and eight serious violations. These violations included allowing workers to walk or crawl along the top of 10-foot-high concrete foundation forms without fall protection, as well as exposing them to unguarded vertical steel rebar protruding from concrete footings. The company was also penalized for disregarding the order of immediate restraint.

Both Better Builders and VS Concrete have since filed appeals against the fines.

Topics
Washington
Contractors

A crew of concrete workers faced significant risks during a recent home construction project in Spokane, leading the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) to impose fines totaling $300,000. The fines were issued due to the workers being exposed to potential cave-ins and excavation hazards.

The general contractor, Better Builders of Spokane LLC, along with its subcontractor, VS Concrete LLC, were cited for multiple willful and serious violations related to cave-in hazards. Alarmingly, Better Builders reportedly ignored a stop work order and even removed it after it had been posted by an inspector.

The situation came to light when the local building department alerted L&I after observing several VS Concrete employees working dangerously close to a 22-foot high, nearly vertical dirt wall. These workers were positioned in a narrow gap between the dirt wall and the concrete foundation, lacking adequate cave-in protection and escape routes in the event of a collapse, according to L&I reports.

In response to the identified hazards, both the county and L&I mandated that work at the site cease until the dangers were addressed. However, Better Builders reportedly refused to comply with L&I’s order. After an inspector posted the order himself, the company removed it, and when L&I reposted it, the property owner took it down again. Disturbingly, less than two weeks after the initial inspection, VS Concrete workers were photographed once more working in violation of the state order, this time between 10-foot-high concrete forms and the massive dirt wall.

L&I imposed a fine of $121,840 on Better Builders for four willful serious and four serious violations. These included failing to provide an adequate engineer’s design for excavations exceeding 20 feet, not ensuring that its subcontractor’s workers were protected from hazards, and violating the order of immediate restraint.

Meanwhile, VS Concrete faced a hefty fine of $183,040 for seven willful serious and eight serious violations. These violations included allowing workers to walk or crawl along the top of 10-foot-high concrete foundation forms without fall protection, as well as exposing them to unguarded vertical steel rebar protruding from concrete footings. The company was also penalized for disregarding the order of immediate restraint.

Both Better Builders and VS Concrete have since filed appeals against the fines.

Topics
Washington
Contractors