Major Fine for Omega Demolition in Worker Death

OSHA has issued a fine of $152,433.00 against Elgin based Omega Demolition for safety violations leading to the death of Vincente Santoyo, an Omega employee, when a beam collapsed on him while he was cutting bracing during demolition of a bridge over the Jane Addams Tollway to complete widening of the roadway. Omega has had nine other OSHA safety citations since 2006, and has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. Laborer’s local 225 said that Santoyo had worked for over 20 years in the Chicago area construction industry.

As a result of the deadly incident, Tollway officials removed Omega from the project, and barred the demolition contractor from any further Tollway work. Judlau Contracting, the general contractor, also had its project manager and an engineering supervisor removed from the project and barred from future Tollway work.