Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Roanoke-based Oscar Renda Contracting was slapped with a $124,300 proposed fine from OSHA for a drainage project in Houston

















The city of Dallas has awarded Oscar Renda Contracting more than $450 million in business in the last decade. (File Photo/David Woo)



By Tristan Hallman Follow @TristanHallman thallman@dallasnews.com

Dallas City Hall Reporter

Published: 02 August 2016 02:53 PM
Updated: 02 August 2016 03:08 PM

One of Dallas City Hall's biggest contractors has incurred the wrath of federal officials -- and a possible six-figure penalty.

Roanoke-based Oscar Renda Contracting was slapped with a $124,300 proposed fine from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for a drainage project in Houston. Oscar Renda officials denied wrongdoing.

The company has won more than $450 million in business in the last decade from the city of Dallas.


OSHA alleged that during a Houston work site inspection, officials found 11 serious safety violations, two other-than-serious violations and one willful violation. The willful violation accounted for $70,000 of the total fine amount.

Mark Briggs, OSHA's area director in the Houston office, said that it's the sixth time in the last decade that safety officials found Oscar Renda Contracting "risking the lives of its employees in underground trenches."

"Imagine the fear of working below ground when thousands of pounds of soil begin to fall on you and the likelihood that you will be buried alive because your employer valued a contract more than your life," Briggs said in a statement. "OSHA remains firm in its commitment to hold employers accountable for their actions when fundamental common sense and humanity are not enough to make them change."

Dan Yanes, the company's safety director, disputed the allegations in an emailed statement.

"The company has absolutely not ignored any fatal risks or unsafe conditions to our employees, as alleged by OSHA," Yanes said. "It is the company's position that the citations, allegations and statements made by OSHA are entirely without merit and the company intends to respond accordingly to challenge same in applicable procedures and protocol."

Oscar Renda and its closely affiliated sister company, Southland Mole, were recently at the center of a firestorm at Dallas City Hall. Southland Mole had won a bid for a $200 million drainage tunnel, but the deal was nixed amid questions about the company's safety record and why another company with a lower bid was disqualified. Southland Mole disputed safety record concerns.

The Dallas City Council ultimately decided to scrap the deals and open up the contracts for a second round of bidding.


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MISSION STATEMENT

"To maintain continued success and achieve prominence as the leading infrastructure contractor nationally, we must first and foremost have safety as the top priority, providing both the employees and the public a safe and healthy working environment; we must maintain quality workmanship through Honesty, Integrity and Professionalism; we must maintain with deepest regard that the Employees and our Customers are the prominent forces to our continued success and therefore, we continue the Mission."


Established in 1974, Oscar Renda Contracting Inc. has been constructing large-diameter pipelines, as well as water and wastewater treatment facilities throughout the United States for over 40 years. Oscar Renda Contracting has the capability to employ a variety of construction techniques – including deep open-cut pipeline installation,  large-diameter, earth-tunnel bore machines, and slip-line pipeline repair.
 
Additional services are available through Renda Environmental and Renda Pacific, sister companies of Oscar Renda Contracting.  Renda Environmental is a full-service residual management company, and is one of the largest privately-owned companies of its kind in the United States. 
 
All three companies take pride in delivering quality products performed on budget and on time. For more information about Oscar Renda Contracting, Renda Environmental, or Renda Pacific please feel free to Contact Us.

Oscar Renda Corporate Headquarters:  608 Henrietta Creek Road | Roanoke, TX 76262