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A Goodyear Arizona-based construction company has been cited for safety violations after a deadly bee attack at a Scottsdale job site in July left one worker dead and others injured.
The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) issued $15,370 in fines against C&J Builders following the incident, which happened in July. Investigators found the company failed to provide protective gear or warn workers about the risks of bee exposure.
The report said three employees were endangered while working outside an assisted living facility when a swarm attacked. One of the workers, 65-year-old Nicolas Lopez Zoto, later died from his injuries.
Workers attacked while handling beehive site
According to the investigation, the crew had been called to the site to assist with a beehive located inside a concrete column. Two employees were using a hydraulic lift to remove part of the structure so that a beekeeper could spray the hive the following day.
While performing the task, the bees suddenly swarmed the workers. They managed to lower the lift and were helped indoors by colleagues, but all three were stung multiple times.
Lopez Zoto succumbed to his injuries soon after the incident, prompting an ADOSH investigation into the company’s safety procedures.
Safety and recordkeeping violations found
The ADOSH report determined that C&J Builders had not warned employees about potential hazards at the site and had not provided any bee-protective equipment. It also revealed the firm failed to maintain required injury and illness records for the past three years.
Officials said the lack of hazard communication and incomplete recordkeeping violated state safety laws designed to protect construction workers from preventable harm.
C&J Builders has the option to appeal the citations and fines. The company has not yet commented on the findings.
