State to Investigate Worker’s Fatal Fall

A state safety agency said Thursday it appears that the accident in which a construction worker died when he fell into a 10-foot pit could have been prevented.

Chris Buice, 43, of Riverside, was working with a circular saw Wednesday at the Sherman Oaks Galleria when he fell in an open hole and was critically injured. Buice, who suffered head trauma and an open fracture to his elbow, was taken to Northridge Hospital Medical Center, where he later died.

“They should have been covering that opening so people would not have fallen through. That is a requirement,” said California Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokesman Dean Fryer. “They could have placed a piece of plywood over the hole. That could have been the quickest and safest approach.”

“But we still don’t know what exactly happened,” he added.

OSHA investigators have yet to determine if any violation occurred in connection with the accident Wednesday.

The victim’s employer, Prieto Construction, Inc. of Irvine, had been cited about 20 times since 1990 for safety and health violations, according to OSHA records. At least six of the violations were considered serious, officials said.

Some of the citations included asbestos exposure of employees and inadequate training of workers about work safety measures, Fryer said.

Prieto Construction, Inc. officials said they have appealed every citation and cleared most of them.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and all of those who have worked with him and knew him,” said Enrico Prieto, a company owner. “He will be sorely missed.”

Fryer said OSHA investigators plan to interview witnesses and fellow workers to determine if the construction company followed safety regulations.

“We want to find out if proper protection was available--if the worker was tied on to something so he would not fall,” Fryer said. “We want the company’s training record, to see if employees are given proper training.” Companies can be fined up to $25,000 for violations, Fryer said.

A serious violation citation is issued when there is a probability that death or serious physical harm could result, Fryer said. An employer would be cited with a willful violation if a visible threat was ignored.

Fryer said the OSHA investigation is required to be completed within six months.