Friday, June 24, 2011

Cost of a human life: $116,312

From the Queens Gazette:

Federal regulators recently cited three Queens contractors for multiple safety violations following an investigation into a construction accident that left a 26-year-old worker dead and three others seriously injured in Elmhurst on January 10.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Sing Da Corporation, H-Rock Corporation and Vera Construction, Inc., for serious violations of workplace safety standards, following an investigation into the January 10 accident at a job site at 85-02 Queens Blvd.

OSHA slapped the companies with a total of $116,312 and gave them 15 business days to meet with an OSHA director to contest the findings, authorities said.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The fine is for legal infractions.
The cost of human life will be dealt with in a civil court. Expect the results to be in the millions unless the plaintiffs have idiots for lawyers. (and the lawyers will get 1/2 of the millions for their humanitarian concern)

Anonymous said...

and the lawyers will get 1/2 of the millions for their HUMANITARIAN concern

========================================

Yea...... humanitarian concern.

Anonymous said...

Another TOMMY HUANG project!! How many times will this sleaze bag get away with building inferior homes. What the heck is wrong with the buildings dept. for continually giving him permits to build. He and his son have so many businesses under so many names; it's hard to keep up with them. Just ask the community residents and they'll tell you immediately "that's a Tommy Huang" project. Now if they can figure it out why can't buildings? I don't understand why it's so difficult to find and deport him & sonnyboy. Sad to say, a life was the result of his last project but unless he's stopped it will continue.

Anonymous said...

Tommy Huang is a menace to society!

But as long as Congressman Gary Ackerman continues to protect his prime Asian contributor (with carefully laundered, untraceable funds) Tommy "the terrible" will walk!

Time to hang Huang by his rice crispies!

Anonymous said...

Well, without an attorney, the estate of the dead man would get nothing, and we would have to rely only on the builder's "humanitarian concerns" and toothless, bought, political entities to enforce safe building codes, since there would be no threat of a fiscal hit if a solely profit-motivated builder ignored them and the lives and safety of the workers with impunity.

Plus, what attorney gets half?

If a jury, sitting and hearing all the evidence (not some tainted corporate PR version of the evidence) finds for the Plaintiff and tries to punish an egregious wrongdoer and fairly compensate the Plaintiff or his estate, and their verdict is overturned on appeal by a "pro-business" judge (the majority of appellate judges) the attorney gets nothing for years of work (something akin to a real estate broker, yes, the fee seems high when you make a sale, but a sale is never guaranteed and you do a great deal of work for free).

The reason the system is so screwed up is people really don't seem to understand who is working for them and who is not . . . .

Anonymous said...

OSHA Press Release:

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=20034

Sounds like a strong basis for criminality.

Lawyer's get 1/3 plus expenses is my belief.

3/12/08 Vera Construction satisfied OSHA Classes; 3/29/09 Henry Huang satisfied OSHA Classes; so much for that requirement.

What was the purpose of the Special Enforcement - Huang Initiative Presentation authored by Commissioner Patricia Lancaster dated October 27, 2007. It outlined the History of the Huangs (leaving out the collapse on 223rd Street); Description of their Business; DOB Goals; Methodology (audits, inspections, investigations); Progress; Enforcement Tools; and Constituent Role. Too bad it wasn't acted on.