BOISE, Idaho — The Department of Labor released their findings following an investigation of a collapsed hangar near the Boise Airport.
The hangar collapsed in January of this year, killing three workings, injuring eight others.
Following the collapse, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) responded to the scene. A report released to media on Monday says that Big D Builders, of Meridian, was building the hangar without "sufficient bracing or tensioned guy wires."
“Big D Builders’ blatant disregard for federal safety regulations cost three workers their lives and caused at least eight others to suffer painful injuries,” explained OSHA Area Director David Kearns in Boise, Idaho. “The company’s irresponsible construction methods left the aircraft hangar’s structure extremely vulnerable.”
The news release detailed many faults with the construction, saying Big D Builders had ignored "numerous indications that the structure was unstable." Things like visibly curved, bent, wavy structural I-beams and unbalanced columns and several snapped wire rope cables were present.
“The tragic loss and pain suffered by so many is compounded by the fact that Big D Builders could have prevented all of this from happening,” Kearns added. “We cannot put a value on the loss of life, but we will use all our resources to hold employers accountable when they willfully ignore safety regulations and expose workers to serious and fatal injuries. We encourage other employers to remember the risks of ignoring federal OSHA and industry safety standards.”
Big D Builders' continued building despite what OSHA said were obvious concerns. The contractor continued installing 150-foot-long bays to the football field-sized project despite the bays being "visibly not straight." OSHA says Big D Builders used straps to straighten the spans, rather than installing additional bracing or temporary guy lines per industry standards.
Other OSHA findings include a lack of employee training, and allowing construction equipment to operate in mud and standing water.
OSHA cited Big D Builders Inc. for one willful violation and three serious violations of federal safety regulations and proposed $198,586 in penalties.
Inland Crane, also operating at the hangar worksite, was cited by OSHA for one serious safety violation and fined $10,163 "for exposing workers to collapse hazards due to failures to ensure stability during the hangar erection process."
In response to this news, a Big D Builders representative states, "Given the pending lawsuit, we have no comment on the report or its findings."