A Florida construction contractor was fined $50,000 for lying to OSHA following two inspections in October and December 2017.
Alcir DeSouza, owner of DeSouza Framing Inc., pleaded guilty Jan. 26 to a felony count of making a false statement during an OSHA investigation.
The court found DeSouza lied to OSHA inspectors after the agency conducted investigations at two of his worksites resulting in fall hazard violations and a proposed $199,178 fine, according to a Department of Labor news release.
DeSouza was accused of willfully exposing workers to fall hazards by allowing them to work without fall PPE then lying about it to inspectors.
During both inspections, employees were observed working at heights of between 11 and 22 feet without using any fall protection devices.
The inspections were part of a Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction.
