Demolition Firm Appeals Citations in Roof Collapse, Worker’s Death

An Orange County demolition company is appealing citations against it by the California Occupational Health and Safety Administration in connection with a June 9 roof collapse in Torrance that killed one worker and injured five others.

In an appeal filed with Cal/OSHA in Sacramento last week, the Placentia-based Radco Concrete, Sawing & Breaking Inc. argued that the workers broke a gate lock and entered the construction site that day to salvage plywood and electrical materials “for their own financial gain.”

Cal/OSHA issued five civil citations against the firm late last month, alleging 18 violations of state occupational safety and health standards, including failure to conduct inspections of the job site and failure to properly supervise employees.

The citations, four of them classified as serious, carry potential fines totaling $9,680.

The 14-page appeal contends the firm was unaware that workers were at the demolition site June 9. The company further denied that the workers present that day were Radco employees, describing them instead as employees of a Radco subcontractor.

“No employer-employee relationship existed between Radco and the ‘workers’ present,” the appeal states.

The accident occurred shortly after noon on a Sunday at the former National Lumber & Supply store, 25415 Crenshaw Blvd. Radco was demolishing part of the vacant 40,000-square-foot building.

Miquel Arzate of Los Angeles died when he and five other workers crashed through the roof and fell 20 to 25 feet to a concrete floor. Two other workers were hospitalized.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office is continuing its own investigation and has not yet determined if criminal charges are warranted, Deputy District Atty. Fred Macksoud said Wednesday. His office is awaiting reports from Torrance police and from Cal/OSHA, a division of the state Department of Industrial Relations.

Cal/OSHA cited Radco for failing to perform an engineering survey of the building to prevent possible collapse. It also faulted the company for failing to conduct ongoing inspections during the demolition, neglecting to supervise workers properly and failing to require employees to use approved safety belts or harnesses.

A wide-ranging list of less serious violations was also issued, such as failing to maintain an effective accident-prevention program or provide appropriate footwear to workers.

While Radco contends the workers entered the site without authorization, a worker who witnessed the accident--28-year-old Ensiquio Serra of Los Angeles--said in an interview last month that a Radco supervisor had asked him and 10 others to work that weekend.

But an attorney for Radco, Richard R. Gutierrez, said Radco was under no pressure to complete the project. “There was no reason to be there on Sunday, no reason whatsoever,” he said.

Appeals of Cal/OSHA violations are heard by an administrative law judge. No hearing date has been set.