A New Jersey contractor is in hot water with OSHA for continuing to expose its employees to fall hazards on construction sites, leading to a whopping $1 million fine.
The inspection was initiated under a local emphasis program for falls in construction, which found a lack of fall protection, failure to use eye protection, unsafe scaffolds and failure to provide hard hats.
OSHA inspected this contractor five times since 2016, citing it each time for failure to provide workers with fall protection. The company was added to the Severe Violator Enforcement Program because of egregious fall violations.
Fine: $1,017,248
Company: Adrian Construction Group LLC, Paterson, New Jersey
Business: Framing contractors
Reasons for fine:
Five willful violations for failing to:
- ensure employees working 6 feet or more above lower levels were protected from fall hazards by using guardrail, safety net or personal fall arrest systems (four separate instances)
- ensure employees used eye or face protection when exposed to related hazards
Four serious violations for failing to:
- ensure employees wore hard hats in areas where head injuries were possible
- fully plank each platform on all working levels of scaffolds
- use ladders or stairs on scaffolds where platforms were more than 2 feet above or below a point of access
- provide personal fall arrest or guardrail systems for employees working on scaffolds more than 10 feet above lower levels