CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Labor has issued citations to two companies for safety violations after three construction workers died in a scaffolding collapse.
Friends Masonry Construction (FMC) and Old North State Masonry (ONSM) received fines totaling over $100,000 after violating safety standards relating to a deadly January scaffolding collapse in Uptown Charlotte. FMC faces a $43,506 fine and ONSM faces a $87,012 fine. Both companies are based in Charlotte.
FMC's citation says the scaffolding used was not strong enough to support the weight of the crew members. The Department of Labor also found that the scaffolding was not properly inspected for defects before shifts.
ONSM was given the same citations as FMC but faces additional penalties for having scaffolding not constructed in accordance with the design by a qualified person and for having scaffolding not repaired after being damaged or weakened.
All of the citations issued to the two companies state that the issues were resolved upon inspection by the NC Department of Labor.
"The penalties are in no way designed to make up for the loss of life," the NC Department of Labor said in a statement. "The civil money penalties collected... must be remitted to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund, which distributes the monies to the public school system."
Jose Canaco, Jesus Martinez, and Gilberto Fernandez died on Jan. 2 after falling 70 feet when scaffolding collapsed at a construction site on E. Moorehead Street in Uptown Charlotte. Two other workers were injured in the collapse.
The accident remains under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).