The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the lead engineer and 10 other contractors a total of $314,000 for violations leading up to the Oct. 12, 2019, collapse of the New Orleans Hard Rock Hotel while it was under construction. Three workers were killed and dozens of others were injured when the upper floors of the 18-story hotel collapsed. Two bodies remain in the rubble.
Structural engineer Heaslip Engineering LLC received the most severe penalties—$154,214 in fines, about half of the overall total—for what the federal agency classifies as “willful” and “serious” violations that compromised the building’s structural integrity. OSHA cited the other 10 companies, including general contractor Citadel Builders and steel contractor Suncoast Projects, for various safety violations. OSHA did not cite the developer, 1031 Canal Development LLC, in the March 26 report.