Los Angeles Court Upholds Appeals Board in Brutoco Decision

In a case dating back to 1995, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge in a tentative ruling has upheld the Cal/OSH Appeals Board in Brutoco Engineering and Construction, Inc.Brutoco was cited for three alleged serious and willful violations in the death of worker Pedro Lopez in an Irvine trench collapse in November 1995, with proposed penalties of $187,500. Lopez and another worker were replacing a perforated PVC pipe, known as a "French drain," when the collapse occurred.The company wa