On Site, Life is Cheap (About $1,000 A Month)

The government and builders can agree on one thing: Life is cheap. The details of settlements between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and two construction firms involved worksite deaths in recent months have been released. To the idealistic eye, they are hard to stomach:

Settlement papers show that Leeco Construction, 58 Hester Street, Manhattan, which employed a worker killed at 207 South First Street in November, agreed to pay a reduced fine of $11,200 in ten installments. The original fine was $14,000. That case was settled in February of this year. The second employer, LeCapife Corp., 283 Liberty Ave., agreed to pay $9,450 in 13 installments. The original fine was for $13,500. This case was settled in December. OSHA served 11 serious violations and two other violations against LeCapife. The agency also served Leeco Construction with five serious violations and three repeat violations. The citations against LeCapife stated that employees had not received proper instruction on how to hoist steel beams, and that those operating the chain hoists had no experience before the day of the accident.

Guess we can forget about any semblance of accountability for the Tony Duncan death as well–OSHA says it is currently investigating that one too.
Feds Take Action in Construction Deaths [Zwire]