Demolition company fined $1.2M for violations leading up to worker death at Government Center parking garage
BOSTON -- A Brockton-based demolition company is facing nearly $1.2 million in fines from the U.S. Department of Labor after a worker died at the Government Center parking garage work site earlier this year. The Department of Labor released new details about the work conditions that led up to the accident.
On March 26, a heavy equipment operator who had started demolition on a concrete beam, told the foreman they had concerns about the floor's safety. Despite these concerns, another worker, Peter Monsini, was assigned to operate the excavator, according to OSHA.
The floor collapsed, sending Monsini and the 11,000-pound excavator into an 80-foot fall. He did not survive.
OSHA said Monsini "never received a safety briefing and was not trained to follow the engineer's demolition plan." It was his first day on the job.
They also found the company didn't follow its demolition plan and put equipment that was too heavy on the partially demolished seventh, eighth and ninth floors.
JDC Demolition Company Inc. was cited for eight egregious-willful violations, two serious violations, and one other than serious violation of workplace safety standards. The company faces $1,191,292 in penalties.
OSHA also fined the general contractor, John Moriarty and Associates Inc., for four serious violations. They face $58,008 in proposed penalties.
Both companies have 15 days to respond.
JDC Demolition told WBZ-TV in a statement: "JDC Demolition takes the safety and security of their employees extremely seriously and remains deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a team member. JDC Demolition historically has had an excellent safety record. They have fully cooperated with OSHA's investigation and are carefully reviewing the citations, and will contest them as appropriate."
