Department of Labor finds two Houston contractors willfully ignored federal safety requirements, leading to fatal roof collapse at high school

Summary

A federal investigation into the fatal roof collapse at Friendswood High School in June 2023 has led to citations and proposed penalties for two Houston-area contractors, ICI Construction Inc. and Emanuel Enterprises LLC. The investigation found that supervisors at both companies failed to complete an engineering survey before demolition began, exposing employees to safety hazards. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited both companies for willfully ignoring federal requirements and issued a total of $315,643 in proposed penalties. The companies have 15 business days to comply with the citations and penalties or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.