MILWAUKEE — The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has imposed heavy fines on Berglund Construction following a scaffolding collapse at the Milwaukee County Courthouse last fall.
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The incident happened on October 10, and involved two workers who were trapped but ultimately unharmed.
The collapse prompted OSHA to investigate the construction company for potential safety violations.
According to OSHA’s findings, Berglund Construction faces penalties totaling $85,116 for a range of hazards and safety violations related to the incident. Key issues identified include improper setup of the scaffolding, which lacked essential restraints and anchors necessary to prevent collapse.
WATCH: OSHA issues fines following Milwaukee County Courthouse scaffolding collapse
Furthermore, the investigation revealed that lifelines were not securely fastened and highlighted insufficient safety training for employees, who were not supervised by a qualified “competent person” as required.
Terry Konell, owner of TC Risk Management—an organization that specializes in safety training and OSHA compliance—expressed concern regarding the situation.
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“What happened here seems to be avoidable, is that your takeaway?" asked TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins.
“I would say 95 to 98 percent of all accidents are avoidable," said Konell. "One thing that really kind of concerns me is that there were a lot of failures here, and as I would say, they're really scaffolding compliance 101 kind of issues."
Konell also emphasized the importance of regular inspections and adequate training.
“Where was the competent person, and why weren’t these things looked at? Because they should be inspected daily," he said.
In response to the violations, Ted Larkin, safety director for Berglund Construction, said the company takes the violations "very seriously."
Jenkins also reached out to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley’s office.
“At the County Executive’s direction, the County reviewed the incident report and worked with the contractor to ensure they make worksite improvements to prevent future incidents during this project. Milwaukee County requested additional safety measures be installed for the next phase of work that recently started. Safety remains the County Executive’s number one priority, and we will continue working with the contractor to ensure a safe environment for all who work at and visit the courthouse as this project moves forward," a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
All of this as the next phase of construction continues at the courthouse.
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