The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined a Texas contractor subjected its employees to struck-by hazards that resulted in a crane collapse and the unfortunate death of an employee. This incident was a consequence of S&D Erectors Inc. operating a mobile crane beyond its designated weight limits, according to an Aug. 24 news release.
“S&D Erectors disregarded the safety of their employees, and one worker suffered the deadly consequences of the company’s failures,” OSHA Area Director Timothy Minor, in Fort Worth, Texas, said in the release. “By willfully ignoring required safety standards for operating a crane, a young worker’s family, friends and co-workers must cope with a void from his loss that can never be filled.”
Following a federal workplace safety investigation, it was determined S&D Erectors Inc. could have prevented the death of a 23-year-old worker at a job site in Aubrey. The investigation conducted by OSHA revealed the employee was involved in constructing a metal building when a mobile crane collapsed in March 2023, the release reported.
According to OSHA, the company failed to adhere to mandated safety procedures for operating the mobile crane, leading to overloading the crane beyond its weight limits, thus exposing its workers to struck-by hazards, according to the release.
OSHA cited S&D Erectors for several violations, including four willful violations for not implementing alternative measures when the load and radius cell malfunctioned, operating the mobile crane beyond its rated capacity and requiring the crane operator to exceed the crane's capacity, the release said.
Additionally, the company was cited for 11 serious violations, including the absence of an accident prevention program, inadequate inspections of the work site and non-compliance with federal safety standards for crane inspections, wire rope inspections and other potential hazards, the release said. As a result of the violations, OSHA proposed penalties totaling $262,977.
S&D Erectors Inc., headquartered in Farmersville, specializes in commercial structural steel erection and was established in 2007. The company has approximately 67 employees, the release said. The construction contractor has the option to comply with the citations and penalties within 15 business days, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or challenge the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
