Report: Contractor in San Francisco Muni tunnel death had record of safety violations

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A contractor's safety record is coming under scrutiny after a deadly workplace accident involving a worker at Muni's West Portal Station in San Francisco, according to a report.

Shimmick Construction, the contractor involved in Friday's deadly accident has had a history of safety issues that were not disclosed to the city, according to the San Francisco Examiner.

The Examiner found Shimmick Construction had been linked to almost 50 workplace safety violations over the last ten years. However, the Examiner reports that back in November 2017, Shimmick Construction and their current partner answered "no," when an SFMTA questionnaire asked whether either had been cited for any serious or willful violations in the last decade.

A spokesman for the agency told the Examiner, Shimmick Construction had represented that it met the requirements to pre-qualify for the bid.

There is growing concern and questions surrounding exactly how the construction was allowed to operate.

It was last Friday when a temporary steel beam fell on 51-year-old Patrick Ricketts, working construction inside the 100-year-old Twin Peaks Tunnel.

Ricketts' funeral is planned for next week.

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