Concrete slab crushes 2 workers at JFK Airport, feds say. Construction company fined

A company faces nearly $60,000 in fines after two workers were crushed by a concrete slab at New York’s JFK Airport earlier this year, federal officials say.

Two employees of Triumph Construction Corp., based in the Bronx, died April 3 when they were removing soil from underneath a concrete slab at the airport, according to an Oct. 16 news release from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

As they were working, the slab broke and collapsed, trapping the two employees under rubble in the trench, the report says.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced a stop work order for all construction at the airport the day of the accident.

“Employers are obligated to make a good faith effort to recognize, evaluate and control workplace hazards throughout the course of the work and as conditions change, which Triumph did not do,” local OSHA director Kevin Sullivan said in the release.

Brian Gardner, a lawyer representing Triumph Construction, told McClatchy News what happened was “a terrible incident.”

He said the company had an informal conference with OSHA to see if the two could reach a resolution regarding the citation. The company plans to contest, he said.

“Triumph is a very safe company and takes safety very seriously,” Gardner said. He said the presence of Triumph’s long-term employees attest to that fact.

Investigators faulted the company, saying it failed to support the concrete slab, exposing the employees to danger and ultimately leading to the fatal collapse. Officials said the company also did not instruct workers on how to safely remove the slab and make sure those safety procedures were followed.

Employees worked in a trench that was about 8 feet wide, 88 feet long and 14 feet deep, according to the citation. Investigators said the trench did not have a protective system in accordance with OSHA regulations.

The company received four serious citations, totaling $59,153, according to the report dated Sept. 27.

“Diligent over(sight) and management of changing worksite conditions could have helped prevent this tragedy from happening,” Sullivan said.

This is not the first time Triumph has come under labor officials’ scrutiny. The company was also fined in 2018 for failing to protect workers from cave-ins while working in trenches.

This story was originally published October 16, 2023 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Concrete slab crushes 2 workers at JFK Airport, feds say. Construction company fined."