July 29, 2024

Department of Labor finds appalling disregard of safety standards by building contractor in collapse of Boise airport hangar that killed 3 workers

Big D Builders Inc. ignored regulations, visible warning signs before deadly incident

BOISE, ID – A federal workplace safety investigation into the fatal injury of three workers and injuries to at least eight others, after an airport hangar collapsed near the Boise Airport in January 2024, found the building contractor ignored standard safety procedures and visible warning signs during construction.

Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration responded to the scene of the deadly incident and discovered Big D Builders Inc. of Meridian had begun erecting the hangar without using sufficient bracing or tensioned guy wires. OSHA also learned the construction contractor had ignored numerous indications that the structure was unstable, including visibly curved, bent and wavy structural I-beams, unbalanced columns and several snapped wire rope cables.

Despite these obvious concerns, federal inspectors determined Big D Builders continued to add 150-foot-long bays to the football field-sized project. OSHA found the bays were visibly not straight and that the contractor left many critical connecting bolts loose and, rather than installing additional bracing or temporary guy lines per steel erection industry standards, used straps to straighten the additional spans.

"Big D Builders' blatant disregard for federal safety regulations cost three workers their lives and caused at least eight others to suffer painful injuries," explained OSHA Area Director David Kearns in Boise, Idaho. "The company's irresponsible construction methods left the aircraft hangar's structure extremely vulnerable."

In addition, OSHA found the contractor failed to train workers to properly construct steel spans and allowed cranes and other construction equipment to operate in mud and standing water, exposing workers to risk of the equipment overturning.

"The tragic loss and pain suffered by so many is compounded by the fact that Big D Builders could have prevented all of this from happening," Kearns added. "We cannot put a value on the loss of life, but we will use all our resources to hold employers accountable when they willfully ignore safety regulations and expose workers to serious and fatal injuries. We encourage other employers to remember the risks of ignoring federal OSHA and industry safety standards."

OSHA cited Big D Builders for one willful violation and three serious violations of federal safety regulations and proposed $198,586 in penalties. The agency also cited Inland Crane Inc. of Boise with one serious safety violation and proposed $10,163 in penalties for exposing workers to collapse hazards due to failures to ensure stability during the hangar erection process.

Based in Meridian, Big D Builders Inc. is a design-build contractor that offers site evaluation, architectural and engineering consulting, drafting and project management services to clients in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 1,056 construction workers died on the job.

The companies have 15 business days from receipt of the 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. 

Learn more about OSHA. 

Media Contacts:

Michael Petersen, 415-625-2630, petersen.michael.w@dol.gov
Jose Carnevali, 415-625-2631, carnevali.jose@dol.gov

Release Number:  24-1541-SEA