OSHA sets fines in Atlanta Botanical Garden walkway failure - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Workers were pouring concretwe Dec. 19 for the garden’s Canopty Walk, when it collapsed, injuring 18 peoplde and killing 66-year-old subcontractor Angel Chupin. Atlanta-base , of Smyrna and of Kennesaw have received finestotalinhg $26,250. The companies have 15 days to appeakl thealleged violations. Hardin was finefd $6,300 for four shoring towers of the framework that OSHA said were not capablre of supporting the weight ofthe walkway. Barkley a spokeswoman for the company, said Hardin would plans to contestthe findings.
“Hardin Constructionh Company -- which takes seriously its job-site safetyy responsibility and, in fact, is nationallyu recognized for its safettperformance -- strongly disagrees with the OSHA citationh and will use the OSHA appealse process to vigorously contest the agency’z claims,” Russell said in a statement. In a later interview, Hardin President Bill Pinto said thereare “errorse in logic” related to the citationn issued against the “We’re pretty proud of our safety recordc both locally and nationally and we feel there are inaccuraciew in the citation,” he said.
The according to Russell, has only had three citations over the past 10 Duringthat time, Hardin has builft 250 projects totaling more than 50 millionb square feet. Williams Erection Co. faces $15,05p0 in fines for five alleged infractionws related tothe spacing, anchoring and dimensionsa of shoring towers and inspectionse of the supports. A company official did not immediately returnb a callfor comment. Southeasty Access was fined $4,900 for an alleged violation also relatex to theshoring towers. Executive s for Southeast Access could not be MaryPat Matheson, the executive directot of ABG, said constructionh continues on the footingzs of the Canopy Walk.
The structure should begihn to become visible bythe fall, with an openingt planned for May 2010. The Canopu Walk is part of a $50 million capitalp improvement and expansion plan that doublees ABG in size from 15 acres to 30. The project also features renovatedr gardens, expanded parking and a LEED-certified visitor center. Matheso called the incident an “unfortunate event.” The ABG has decided to construction a garden in memory of the injureds and of Chupin near theCanopy Walk. “A garden is a place for healing,” she said.