In 2024’s closing quarter, a number of the largest OSHA citations issued to building companies stemmed from two of probably the most well-identified hazards: falls and trench cave-ins.
The company has nationwide emphasis applications for these requirements, as they’re a number of the deadliest and most simply recognized perils on a jobsite.
OSHA publicizes cases through which it points massive fines, as a way of displaying its regulatory energy and calling consideration to violations. Within the fourth quarter of final yr, the company highlighted a number of employers dealing with hefty penalties throughout a number of jobsites and inspections.
In building, these instances usually contain residential builders committing repeat violations, which carry a bigger preliminary penalty. The unique advantageous quantities are generally negotiated down in settlement, so they don’t all the time symbolize the quantity paid. Instances the place companies have settled the preliminary quantities have already got been famous right here.
RRC Dwelling Enchancment
Preliminary fines: $328,545 (throughout three inspections)
Standing: Contested
Federal OSHA security officers have levied practically $330,000 in preliminary fines towards a Newark, New Jersey-based roofing contractor after three inspections in the summertime of 2024 allegedly found that workers were exposed to falls.
In June, OSHA stated inspectors on a Dover, Delaware, jobsite obtained experiences of staff of RRC Dwelling Enchancment engaged on a roof with out fall safety. A month after warning the corporate, OSHA opened inspections at two worksites in Lodi, New Jersey, in July. These inspections have been a part of the company’s nationwide emphasis program for falls in building.
The company alleges it once more noticed staff working with out required fall safety, in addition to an absence of onerous hats, eye safety and hearth extinguishers along with non-compliant pump jack scaffold poles and unsafe ladder use.
OSHA stated it has cited the corporate for failing to offer employees with fall safety in 5 totally different inspections since 2017 and added RRC Dwelling Enchancment to the Extreme Violators Enforcement Program. After the inspections, OSHA issued 4 willful and 7 critical violations in December, totaling $328,545 in preliminary penalties. RRC Dwelling Enchancment is contesting all the fines.
RRC Dwelling Enchancment didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Fino Exterior Inc.
Preliminary fines: $302,935 (throughout 4 inspections)
Standing: Contested
OSHA inspectors allegedly noticed staff of a Lake Zurich, Illinois-based roofing contractor engaged on high of residential constructions with out legally required fall safety on 4 events in 2024.
On Feb 6., June 12, Aug. 16 and Oct. 16 of final yr, OSHA says it inspected Fino Exterior Inc. employees working without protections on 4 totally different Illinois jobsites. OSHA says federal inspectors have cited the contractor eight instances since 2020 and that it at present is accountable for $65,115 in unpaid OSHA penalties.
OSHA cited the corporate for the February offense in March, and for the opposite three events in December. Fino Exterior faces citations for 13 security violations and a proposed $302,935 in penalties. The corporate is contesting the fines.
Along with an absence of fall safety, OSHA cited Fino Exterior for:
- Allowing staff to work close to energized energy traces.
- Not offering staff with onerous hats.
- Failing to coach employees in fall safety hazards and prevention.
- Lack of eye safety for employees working pneumatic nail weapons.
- Improper use of ladders.
The corporate has no publicly out there contact information, and couldn’t be reached for remark.
595 Development
Preliminary fines: $287,465 (throughout three inspections)
Standing: Contested
OSHA has cited a framing contractor $287,465 after it allegedly noticed employees uncovered to fall hazards without proper protection thrice at three residential jobsites in the identical neighborhood in the identical month.
The company says inspectors first noticed Crystal Lake, Illinois-based 595 Development staff at work with out required gear on two residential buildings on Might 10 and once more on Might 31.
Consequently, OSHA cited the corporate for permitting staff to work with out fall safety at heights larger than 6 toes and failing to certify they skilled employees to acknowledge hazards or stop falls. OSHA additionally claims 595 Development permitted unsafe use of ladders, failed to make sure employees had certification to function industrial automobiles and used broken slings to hoist supplies.
In November, 595 Development obtained one willful violation, 4 repeat violations and three critical violations throughout three totally different inspections. 595 Development confronted comparable citations for critical and repeat security failures in 2022 and 2023.
595 Development is contesting the fines. The corporate has no publicly out there contact information, and couldn’t be reached for remark.
Aleckssandro Tomaz Pereira
Preliminary fines: $283,116
Standing: Issued
A federal OSHA investigation allegedly has discovered the operator of three Massachusetts waterproofing contracting corporations might have prevented an employee from dying in February 2024.
OSHA claims Aleckssandro Tomaz Pereira — working as Boston Concrete Corp, VMT Contractor and Boston Concrete and Reworking — uncovered employees to cave-in, caught-between and structural collapse hazards by failing to bolster a trench and constructing basis towards collapse.
On Feb. 7, 2024, OSHA stated, an worker was digging in a trench round an present residential construction in Hanson, Massachusetts, when the inspiration wall collapsed and killed the worker. OSHA says its investigators decided the employer instructed the employee to enter the ditch to organize a basis wall for waterproofing and dig out an space underneath the wall to put in concrete footings.
As well as, the company stated Pereira did not:
- Guarantee the worker didn’t dig beneath the unsupported basis wall’s base.
- Prepare staff to acknowledge and keep away from cave-in hazards.
- Prepare staff on working an excavator and recognizing related hazards.
- Present a protected technique of exiting the ditch.
- Stop water from accumulating within the trench.
Consequently, Pereira faces two willful and six serious violations, totaling $283,116 in preliminary fines issued in November.
Development Dive referred to as a publicly out there quantity listed for Boston Concrete Corp, however obtained phrase that the quantity was now not in service.
Miguel A. Esquina Reyes
Preliminary fines: $266,175
Standing: Issued
Federal OSHA inspectors have cited a Zion, Illinois-based roofing contractor for allegedly exposing workers to fall hazards. OSHA claims Miguel A. Esquina Reyes has “an intensive historical past of endangering employees by exposing them to fall hazards.”
An August 2024 inspection of a Glencoe, Illinois, worksite allegedly discovered staff of Reyes — working as Nook Development Corp. — working with out the legally required fall safety. OSHA stated it was the second such incident in six months and the fifth in two years.
Consequently, OSHA cited the corporate for permitting staff to work at heights of larger than 6 toes with out safety and the unsafe use of ladders. In December, OSHA handed Reyes three violations — one willful, one repeat and one serious — totaling $266,175 in proposed penalties.
The corporate has no publicly out there contact information and couldn’t be reached for remark.
Masci Common Contractor Inc.
Preliminary fines: $216,633
Standing: Contested
On Might 28, 2024, security inspectors with OSHA allegedly seen employees employed by Port Orange, Florida-based sewer line contractor Masci Common Contractor Inc. putting in a sewer line in an unsafe trench.
OSHA inspectors initiated the removing of the staff from the 6-foot-deep, 40-foot-long trench in Daytona Seaside, Florida. The company then cited Masci in November for willfully endangering employees by failing to offer important cave-in safety, akin to shoring or trench packing containers.
Consequently, the contractor faces $216,633 in preliminary penalties from 5 critical and one willful violation. The firm is contesting the fines.
Masci didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Okay T Carter Contracting Inc.
Preliminary fines: $146,803
Standing: Casual settlement ($95,000)
Inspectors say they seen employees from Okay T Carter Contracting Inc. in a 12-foot-deep trench without cave-in protection in Jacksonville, Florida.
OSHA initiated the removing of employees employed by the Jacksonville-based civil contractor. The company levied two critical and one willful violation for the occasion, totaling $146,803 in preliminary fines in November. The 2 events reached an informal settlement, in line with OSHA’s database, for $95,000.
Okay T Carter Contracting didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Patriot Paving Group
Preliminary fines: $161,325
Standing: Formal settlement ($57,600)
A federal investigation right into a June 2024 death at a Brownville, Maine, worksite resulted in preliminary fines for a Glenburn, Maine-based common contractor.
OSHA claims Patriot Paving Group ignored an onsite knowledgeable’s repeated warnings and its personal site-specific plan for the venture, which finally noticed an unbraced retaining wall collapse and kill a employee.
OSHA decided two staff of Patriot Paving Group have been putting in storm drainage pipes in a roughly 3-foot-deep trench. On the identical time, the corporate proprietor used an excavator close to the retaining wall’s base, which destabilized it, inflicting the 40- to 60-foot-long part of the wall to tip over. One employee escaped, however the different died.
Investigators decided the corporate knew the wall was unstable however didn’t use crucial protecting methods. Because of the investigation, OSHA cited the corporate for 5 willful violations in December.
The 2 parties have reached a formal settlement for $57,600, per OSHA’s database.
Patriot Paving didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Bandera Utility Contractors
Preliminary fines: $107,228
Standing: Casual settlement ($72,092)
An OSHA investigation allegedly discovered a Frisco, Texas-based contractor repeatedly uncovered employees to critical hazards by permitting them to work in unprotected trenches with out offering a protected means to flee.
In response to a proper criticism, OSHA officers noticed staff of Bandera Utility Contractors engaged on water and sewer traces in a trench with insufficient safety. As well as, OSHA inspectors allegedly famous that the corporate failed to offer staff with primary security measures, akin to ladders within the trench and a way to flee within the occasion of a collapse.
OSHA additionally stated it cited Bandera Utility Contractors in 2022 for 4 critical violations of comparable rules after an worker died in a trench collapse.
Consequently, OSHA cited the corporate, issuing three critical and two repeat violations in December. The 2 events reached an informal settlement for $72,092, in line with OSHA’s database.
Bandera Utility Contractors didn’t reply to requests for remark.
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