Lanzo Construction

Description

Whiteye, a pipe layer, died while working on a sanitary sewer project. He and his crew were laying concrete truss pipe in a 50 feet long by 15-20 feet deep trench. Whiteye was working in a trench box that was only 4 feet wide, but it should have been 8 feet wide. A Vice President of the company, Angelo D'Allesandro, had directed the use of a 4 feet wide trench box to save time. He had to leave the trench box when he encountered a natural gas line. While he was working to connect pipe to a manhole near the gas line, the trench collapsed around the manhole and Whiteye was partially buried and died. It was raining the day of the incident, and although excavation work is more dangerous in wet conditions, Bret Bertollini, the foreman supervising the work, did not stop the work on account of the rain. Whiteye and another employee had suggested to Bertollini that he stop the work, but they were ignored. Mark Klimbal, a field superintendent, chose not to provide safety instruction, advice, or training to Whiteye and his crew when they were hired. In 2005, barred from receiving state contracts until 2013 under a 2003 Granholm Executive Order.

Prosecutors

Attorney General Jennifer Granholm