ADAMS COUNTY, Ohio — Two Michigan companies are facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for safety violations stemming from the Killen Generating Station collapse that killed two people in December.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed to fine Adamo of Detroit $181,724 and SCM Engineering Demolition Inc. $12,288 for failing to properly inspect the property to find potential safety hazards during the demolition process.
OSHA’s investigation also found the companies failed to properly train employees to work in hazardous conditions.
“Some of the most dangerous construction projects are those that involve demolishing buildings,” said OSHA Area Director Kenneth Montgomery in Cincinnati. “This tragedy could have been prevented if the employer protected their workers with proper planning, training and appropriate personal protective equipment and by complying with OSHA standards.”
Both companies have 15 business days from receipt of their citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference or contest the findings before an independent commission.
Doug Gray, 42, and Jamie Fitzgerald, 47, were found dead after the collapse on Dec. 9. Gray was found Dec. 15 and Fitzgerald was found Jan. 8. Three other workers were rescued from the collapse and sustained injuries.
The Killen Generating Station began operations in 1982 and closed in March 2017 along with the J.M. Stuart Station due to financial and environmental challenges. AES Ohio Generation operated the plant, which is a subsidiary of the AES Corporation.
There’s been two recorded incidents in its nearly five-decade history. In 1984, a worker died after getting stuck in a coal chute and another worker died in 1994 from hypothermia on site.
Spectrum News reached out to the companies for comment but haven’t received a response.
