Demolition crew takes down more than planned
According to the beautifully-named Beaver County Times newspaper, federal authorities are investigating a Wednesday afternoon demolition accident that took out some power lines in Aliquippa.
Aliquippa Police Chief Ralph Pallante said workers with Parchman’s Hauling and Excavating of New Castle had started demolishing the old Neighborhood Legal Services Inc. building at 266 Franklin Ave. when bricks fell from the building, taking power lines down with them. “They needed a 10-foot clearance and didn’t quite have it,” said Pallante, who blocked off traffic on Sheffield Avenue between Cochran Street to School Way.
Aliquippa fire officials and a safety specialist with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were called around 12:30 p.m. because of live wires behind the building on Sheffield Avenue.
Robert Szymanski, area director for OSHA’s Pittsburgh office, said no workers were injured when part of the rear wall came down. He said OSHA officials responded because there were a number of safety issues that needed to be addressed. Depending on what OSHA finds, it could impose fines on Parchman’s. “It’s too early to tell, but if there are violations where people could have been injured, there will certainly be proposed penalties.”
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