Companies fined in Oakland accident that sent 13 workers plunging into fresh concrete

California workplace safety regulators fined three contractors nearly $150,000 for their role in a harrowing construction accident in Oakland in which 13 workers tumbled two stories into freshly poured concrete, agency officials said Thursday.

On May 26, workers at 3039 Broadway, a 435-unit mixed-use project in Oakland’s burgeoning Auto Row neighborhood, were pouring concrete into elevated formwork when the shoring system supporting a temporary mold collapsed.

The workers plummeted some 20 feet along with wet concrete, reinforcing steel, timber framework, tools and equipment. One worker’s injuries required surgery.

An investigation by Cal/OSHA found that the formwork and vertical shoring system were improperly designed, installed or inspected.

“Significant safety lapses caused injuries that could have been much worse if the workers hadn’t landed in freshly poured concrete,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum. “Employers must identify, evaluate and correct unsafe working conditions and follow all requirements to prevent employee injuries and illnesses.”

The agency issued citations to subcontractors Largo Concrete and NMN Construction, both of Tustin (Orange County), for $73,365 and $70,320, respectively, for allegedly failing to ensure that the formwork and shoring were designed to safely withstand all intended loads; failing to have calculations and drawings approved by a state-registered civil engineer; and failing to ensure the shoring supports were erected on a stable base.

General citations were issued to the general contractor, Johnstone Moyer of San Carlos, for $3,630 in proposed penalties.

Kyle Ishimaru, an official at MNM Construction, declined to comment Thursday. Messages left with Largo Concrete and Johnstone Moyer were not immediately returned.

The fines were imposed on Nov. 22, and none of the contractors appealed within a 15-day window for contesting the penalties that ended Wednesday, Cal/OSHA said.