CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three contractors are facing thousands of dollars in fines following the May South Park fire that killed two construction workers.
Apartments that were under construction suffered major damage after a five-alarm fire burned a large part of the construction area on May 18 of this year.
Several agencies began investigating the construction company's operational procedures and safety measures after the fire broke out. On Monday, the North Carolina Department of Labor issued fines to contractors following its occupational safety and health inspections that began on May 18 and May 19.
MCRT Carolinas Construction LLC was cited with three serious violations, totaling $46,875 in fines. One citation is due to the lack of unobstructed exits. In this instance, a temporary staircase was removed in building B in order to install a permanent staircase. This left only one stairway exit at the time of the fire.
The citation states that, at the time of the fire, two construction workers were working on the 6th floor in building B. When the fire occurred, "[t]hey were approximately 463 feet away from the only stairway exit and were not able to exit the building, resulting in fatal injuries." MCRT Carolinas Construction was cited $15,625 for this violation, which is the maximum penalty for a serious violation.
NCDOL also cited MCRT Carolinas Construction for allegedly not developing or implementing an emergency response plan or installing an alarm system to alert employees for emergencies. Each of the company's three violations resulted in the maximum penalty.
Kentucky Overhead Door Inc. DBA Baker Insulation was cited with four alleged serious violations, for a total penalty of $6,250. These violations are in relation to hazardous waste disclosure, documentation and employee training programs.
Finally, Diversified Insulation LLC was cited with one serious violation with a penalty of $3,125 for allegedly being in violation of maintaining accessible workplace safety data sheets.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina, when civil penalties are issued for OSH violations, the Labor Department must consider factors such as business size, history of violations, gravity of violations and the good faith of the employer.
After receiving a citation, a company has 15 working days to pay the penalty, contest the citation with an independent body, or request an informal conference with the Labor Department.