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Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Study Ordered After Shaft Mishaps

Reacting to recent accidents in which people have fallen into deep shafts, Los Angeles County supervisors Tuesday ordered a study of potential laws to increase safety at construction sites.

The action proposed by Supervisor Mike Antonovich comes after two accidents in less than a week involving deep holes at construction sites, one of which was fatal.

On Aug. 9, a Santa Clarita building inspector slipped down a 66-foot-deep shaft while inspecting homes demolished after the Northridge earthquake. Wedged in the hole for nearly four hours, Jaime Lozoya, 32, died two days later.

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On Sunday, an 11-year-old boy was rescued in fair condition from a 40-foot-deep shaft at a construction site in Malibu.

Imposing fines on property owners who do not securely cover holes bored for geological testing or other reasons may help prevent accidents, an Antonovich spokesman said.

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