Bellingham Construction Company Fined For Worker's Falling Death

TUMWATER, WA — A Bellingham-based construction company is facing nearly a quarter million dollars in fines, after a state investigation found it didn't do enough to prevent an employee's death late last year.

In August, crews with Boss Construction Inc. had been restoring the Beverly Railroad bridge, which crosses the Columbia River in Vantage, Washington. During the restoration effort, an employee tasked with laying concrete curing blankets fell 60 feet from the deck of the bridge to the ground below. The 39-year-old employee died from injuries suffered in the fall, and now the State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) says Boss Construction did not do enough to protect his life.

L&I says one of the most pressing concerns was the lack of fall protection. The construction company wasn't using guardrails at the time, and only had one catenary line — an anchor employees can attach themselves to in order to prevent falls — leaving about 200 feet at each end of the bridge unprotected.

“Managers and a foreman were working side-by-side with workers—none of them wearing fall protection,” said Craig Blackwood, L&I’s assistant director for the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. “That tells us the employer knowingly allowed employees to work on the bridge without using the required safety equipment.”

L&I says it also spoke with multiple employees, who all affirmed that Boss Construction lacked safety enforcement leading up to the deadly accident. Boss Construction also reportedly did not have a rescue boat on scene and did not have ring buoys, ropes or life vests, all of which are required when employees are working over water without fall protection.

All together, Boss Construction is facing two "egregious serious willful violations" of state code, and a combined $284,000 in fines. The company has until Feb. 8 to appeal L&I's decision. Money collected as a result of the fines will go to into the workers’ compensation supplemental pension fund, supporting injured employees and the families of workers who have died on the job.