Opinion ID: 848695
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The Court of Appeals Decision is Correct

Text: I agree with the Court of Appeals. Plaintiff's testimony is sufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact regarding whether a significant number of workers in addition to the mason were exposed to the danger. Moreover, plaintiff presented evidence that defendant Capital Welding retained control over the manner in which the work of Capital's subcontractor, Abray, was performed. Capital's field superintendent stated that he instructed Abray's ironworkers on proper erection. Plaintiff, Abray's employee, testified that Capital's superintendent instructed him on particular aspects of the job. [3] The contract between Capital and Monarch obligated Capital to undertake safety precautions for the steel erection work. Capital's field superintendent stated that he had the authority to remove a contractor from the site for safety violations. Therefore, Capital retained its responsibility to ensure that the steel was erected safely after subcontracting the work to Abray, plaintiff's employer. An analogy between Funk and this case is appropriate. Funk did not explicitly limit its reasoning to landowners and general contractors. The landowner there was liable to its contractor's employee because it retained control over the safety precautions implemented on the site. See Funk at 107-108, 220 N.W.2d 641. In this case, plaintiff presented evidence that Capital retained control over the methods and safety procedures for Abray's erection of the steel. Capital stands in the identical position to plaintiff as the landowner in Funk did as to Funk. Accordingly, it was not entitled to summary disposition on the proposition that it could not be liable to its contractor's employee. However, with respect to Monarch, plaintiff failed to establish that Monarch had anything more than general oversight of the construction. This is insufficient to establish liability under either the common work area doctrine or the retained control doctrine. Johnson v. Turner Constr. Co., 198 Mich.App. 478, 480, 499 N.W.2d 27 (1993). Monarch was entitled to summary disposition.