Feds find violations at State College demolition site where worker died, propose fine
The Maryland-based demolition contractor that employed a worker who died in July after falling from an open window at a State College work site violated labor standards, the federal agency that monitors workplace safety found.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed an about $14,500 fine against ISI Demolition. The company is facing citations for two serious violations, federal investigators wrote in an 11-page document.
Joshua C. Farkas, 42, of Maryland, died after a five-story fall at the Days Inn demolition site, 240 S. Pugh St. He died at the site of blunt force head trauma, Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers said. His death was ruled accidental.
Farkas was remembered in his obituary as a funny, enthusiastic man with a giving heart. He enjoyed horror movies, comics, “Star Wars” and had season tickets for the Baltimore Orioles.
He and his wife of 15 years, Amy B. Farkas, had five cats and two dogs.
“There are so many lives he touched, and he will live forever through us and our memories,” his obituary read.
An engineering survey was not conducted before demolition work began, regulators wrote. The company did not have the as-built drawings for the building and did not know the extent or the condition of the structural integrity of the building before work started, exposing employees to fall hazards.
Investigators also found at least three wall openings were not properly protected.
It is not known if the business plans to contest OSHA’s findings; a company executive did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment. The employer received the citations Tuesday and has until Jan. 25 to contest the proposed penalties.
Work-related fatalities due to falls, slips and trips increased 5.6% in 2021, data from the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics showed.
The Days Inn, along with the adjoining Mad Max and Brewsky’s Bottle Shop, was demolished last year to make way for a new six-story apartment complex being developed by Core Spaces.