Iowa OSHA cites Cedar Rapids’ Banjo Block developer for safety violations

CEDAR RAPIDS -- State workplace safety regulators have cited an Indianapolis construction company for hazards at the construction site of the $49 million development in Cedar Rapids’ Banjo Block.

A separate investigation into alleged child labor violations by the U.S. Department of Labor is ongoing.

The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration has offered to fine the general contractor, TWG Construction, $3,233 as part of an informal settlement agreement to resolve a list of “serious and other-than-serious” safety violations at the site that posed fire risks and trip hazards. The company was cited for violations May 23.

According to a copy of the tentative agreement, which had yet to be signed, TWG would pay the reduced penalties and take corrective actions to remedy the safety violations by June 5. If it failed to do so, TWG would pay the initially proposed penalty of $6,466. The agreement also requires TWG to waive its right to contest the citations and agree to continue to comply with applicable safety and health standards.

An Iowa OSHA official said the agency could not provide additional information, as the case had yet to be resolved. TWG, in a statement, said the company is “cooperating with OSHA regarding their concerns.”

“The safety of our projects and personnel is always of utmost importance to TWG,” the company said. “ … We look forward to inviting our first residents to this new housing community once complete.”

The company was cited for failure to keep work areas clear of garbage and debris that posed tripping and fire hazards, not equipping exterior stairs and ledges with handrails and guardrails to prevent workers from falling, and use of worn and frayed electrical cords that “exposed employees to potential electrical shock hazards.”

A utility hole cover had also been removed, leaving a 12-inch-by-36-inch deep hole along the west side of the job site at 501 Fourth Ave. SE that workers could trip or step into, according to the Iowa OSHA citations.

Iowa Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids, toured the Banjo Block construction site in mid-April and reported possible underage labor and safety hazards to city officials. He and other officials had toured two construction sites in Cedar Rapids as part of a labor union’s campaign to contrast safety precautions and other issues at job sites.

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"While I’m glad there will be some accountability for the recorded safety violations at the Banjo Block, the proposed fines amount to a mere 0.01 percent of the $23.5 million in taxpayer money that TWG Development has been awarded by state and city government,“ Scheetz said in a statement.

“Minimal penalties for cutting corners cannot be the cost of doing business in our state,” Scheetz said. “Taxpayers deserve real accountability to ensure that their hard-earned dollars aren’t going to corporations that put workers in danger."

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The project was awarded $6.5 million in tax incentives from the city of Cedar Rapids. The state also is providing more than $17 million in tax credits connected to restoring a brownfield and providing low-income housing.

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com