Big D Builders Inc.
Outcome
Big D Builders Inc. was cited for one willful and three serious OSHA violations and fined $198,586, and crane operator Inland Crane Inc. was cited for one serious violation and fined $10,163, after a hangar structure collapsed near Boise Airport in January 2024, killing three workers and injuring at least eight others.
Details
Big D Builders Inc. / Inland Crane Inc. — Hangar Collapse Kills Three Near Boise Airport (2024)
Outcome: A hangar under construction near Boise Airport collapsed in January 2024, killing three workers and injuring at least eight others; Big D Builders Inc. was fined $198,586 for one willful and three serious violations; Inland Crane Inc. was fined $10,163 for one serious violation; combined penalty $208,749.
In January 2024, a hangar structure under construction near Boise Airport, Idaho collapsed during erection work, killing three workers and injuring at least eight others. OSHA's investigation found that Big D Builders Inc. of Meridian, Idaho, the general contractor, had "ignored standard safety procedures and visible warning signs during construction."
Investigators found that Big D had erected the structure without installing sufficient bracing or required tensioned guy wires. Workers and supervisors had observed and ignored multiple visible warning signs of structural instability — including visibly curved, bent, and wavy structural I-beams, unbalanced columns, and several snapped wire rope cables. Rather than halting work and properly bracing the structure, workers used straps to try to straighten sections. Additional serious violations included loose bolts throughout the structure, inadequate worker training on structural erection hazards, and operating construction equipment in muddy conditions with standing water that compromised the stability of the worksite.
Inland Crane Inc., the crane operator at the site, received one serious violation and a $10,163 penalty. OSHA described the overall conduct as "appalling disregard of safety standards."
Primary Source: Department of Labor cites Boise airport hangar collapse contractor for appalling disregard of safety standards that killed 3 workers
How Crucible Prevents This
Visible structural warning signs — curved and wavy I-beams, snapped wire rope cables, unbalanced columns — went unaddressed as Big D Builders substituted straps for required bracing. A Crucible pre-work structural inspection gate requiring sign-off from a competent person before any erection work proceeds, with documented acknowledgment of any visible deformation or instability, would have halted operations before the collapse. The willful classification reflects knowing disregard of these observable danger indicators.
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