HOUSTON — Two Houston contractors were cited and fined more than $315,000 for their involvement in the deadly roof collapse at Friendswood High School in June 2023.
The U.S. Department of Labor determined supervisors of ICI Construction Inc. and Emanuel Enterprises LLC exposed their employees to safety hazards by ignoring federal requirements.
"...failed to complete the survey and allowed demolition to continue, even after hazards became apparent to them," the U.S. Department of Labor said. "In fact, they directed employees to continue to work under the structure that later collapsed on them."
Citations were issued to the general contractor of ICI Construction and the project's demolition contractor of Emanual Enterprises for willfully ignoring federal requirements to complete an engineering survey. In addition, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Emanuel Enterprises for three serious safety violations for its failures to protect workers from silica exposure and use respirators properly.
OSHA fined both of the companies a total of $315,643 in proposed penalties that were set by federal statute. The companies have 15 business days from the receipt of citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, ICI Constuction Inc. is located in Spring and is a private family-owned general contractor that employs about 50 people in the Houston area. Emanuel Enterprises LLC has been operating in the Houston area for approximately one year and has 50 employees specializing in lead, asbestos mold abatement and remediation and demolition.