Company Fined by OSHA for Deadly House Collapse

Earlier this year, we told you about a worker who lost his life when a house collapsed on him in eastern New Orleans. A 1,800-foot concrete slab crushed the 33-year-old man this past April. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) began its investigation of the accident the day after the deadly accident. Now, the six-month investigation has resulted in a $4,900 fine against the house-lifting company, Coastal Shoring.

A story at nola.com reported that OSHA’s investigation revealed that Coastal Shoring violated federal law by failing to ensure safe procedures on the job site. The company did not protect the workers from recognized hazards that were likely to cause death or serious physical injury, according to the report.

The OSHA investigation revealed that the house shifted and collapsed on the victim because cribbing was not installed. For its part, Coastal Shoring reiterated that it cares about the safety of its workers, and it maintains it was not at fault in the fatal accident. According to a spokesperson, the company plans to appeal the fine from OSHA. 

Considering the amount of the fine, do you think $4,900 is harsh enough for an accident that cost a worker his life?

                                                                                                           Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C. – New Orleans accident lawyer