Construction Company Fined In Saints Ballpark Accident
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A St. Michael, Minn. contracting company has been fined by the state after a man died in a construction accident last September at the site of the new St. Paul Saints baseball stadium.
Johnny Valek, 61, was killed when a section of concrete collapsed onto the cab of a backhoe he was operating. He was working for Rachel Contracting.
An investigation by the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found three serious violations, which includes failing to continually make inspections of the site during the demolition process.
Rachel Contracting was fined $52,000 as a result of the violations. Construction work continued about a week after the accident.