A Miami highway and bridge construction company is contesting $58,942 in proposed penalties from the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration after a crane collapsed leading to the death of one worker.
Joseph Bien Aime, 46, was killed and another worker, aged 52, was seriously injured in a crane collapse on December 5, 2022.
The incident occurred as the employees worked to expand a bridge along the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 between Sunrise and Broward in Fort Lauderdale as part of a $153 million, 6.7-mile Florida Department of Transportation infrastructure project.
OSHA has determined that the de Moya Group, which specializes in major infrastructure projects and serves as the prime contractor on the project, could have prevented the tragedy by following federal workplace safety standards.
"This tragedy never should have happened. A worker lost his life, and a co-worker suffered life-altering injuries because the de Moya Group failed to follow industry-recognized and federally required safety measures," said OSHA Fort Lauderdale, Florida Area Office Director Condell Eastmond.
Four serious citations were issued to the de Moya Group for failing to comply with federal safety standards and exposing employees to struck-by hazards.
In addition, OSHA issued the company an other-than-serious citation for using a crane with a broken load indicator and for not making certain that modified crane operating controls did not affect its safe operation.
