SC OSHA Cites Charleston on Fire Deaths. Total Fine $9,325. Read the Report on SConFire.com.
South Carolina’s OSHA fined the City of Charleston $9,325 for violations surrounding the June 18th fire at the Sofa Super Store. Here is what The Post and Courier is reporting:
The state Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the Charleston Fire Department for one willful violation involving firefighter safety and three serious violations having to do with some firefighters on the scene not wearing full protective gear and air tanks. The city was fined a total of $9,325 for the violations.
OSHA released its report today on the June 18 Sofa Super Store Fire that killed nine city firefighters.
One of the serious violations involved the fire department’s failure to have procedures on fighting a fire in a structure with a steel truss roof design. This type of building construction is known to collapse within minutes when exposed to fire and is widely reviled by firefighters around the country.
The fire department also lacked a command system to adequately protect its firefighters, the report says.
SConFire.com has the report online.
The Post and Courier has the report and other documents including: the investigation summary sheet, the explanation of fines against the fire department and the explanation of fines against the Sofa Super Store.
FirefightingNews.com has AP’s version of the story.
Firefighter Hourly has reaction.
