ORLANDO, Fla. — Federal safety officials have fined two companies after two workers fell to their deaths last August at a hotel construction site near Walt Disney World.
- OSHA fines companies in construction workers' deaths
- 2 workers fell last August when scaffolding collapsed
- Incident happened at JW Marriott site near Disney World
On Wednesday, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it had issued $157,792 in fines against PCL Construction and Universal Engineering Services.
Jerry Bell, 46, and Lorenzo Zavala, 34, were pouring concrete on the seventh floor of the JW Marriott Hotel at Bonnet Creek when the support structure collapsed, according to OSHA.
Both men fell and were killed. A third worker also fell but was able to hold on and climb to safety.
OSHA said both companies "failed to inspect formwork, shoring, working decks, and scaffolds properly prior to construction."
PCL also received a willful citation, the maximum allowed by law, for "failing to design, fabricate, erect, support and brace the formwork so that it was capable of supporting vertical and lateral loads."
"Using specified drawings and shoring plans may have prevented these fatalities," OSHA Tampa area director Les Grove said in a statement.
Both companies have 15 days to appeal the fines.
The JW Marriott at Bonnet Creek is set to open in early 2020.