US Department of Labor investigation finds Chicago construction employer exposed workers to continued safety hazards, proposes $265K in penalties

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US Department of Labor investigation finds Chicago construction employer exposed workers to continued safety hazards, proposes $265K in penalties CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Calumet City-based residential construction and carpentry employer after two separate investigations into its continued failure to provide fall protection for workers. The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated two worksites operated by Martin Araujo – doing business as Araujo Construction Corp. – and found that carpenters and general construction laborers were installing roof rafters and roof sheeting without fall protection, exposing them to falls of up to 25 feet. OSHA cited Araujo Construction with two willful violations for not providing fall protection, while working from heights during residential construction at the two worksites. OSHA also cited the employer with nine repeat safety violations for failing to provide head and eye protection, l...
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US Department of Labor obtains decision to revoke Lynn contractor’s license for repeated defiance of safety regulations, failure to pay $300K in penalties

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US Department of Labor obtains decision to revoke Lynn contractor’s license for repeated defiance of safety regulations, failure to pay $300K in penalties
BOSTON – The Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards has revoked William Trahant’s construction supervisor’s license for at least two years as the result of a complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Labor citing seven separate citations issued to his company since 2014 for violating federal fall safety regulations, as well as his continued failure to pay more than $300,000 in related penalties.The department’s Regional Solicitor’s Office and Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Boston presented evidence against Trahant — owner of William Trahant Jr. Construction Inc. — before the board’s hearing officer and obtained a favorable decision on Nov. 17, 2023, which revoked his license. In the decision, the hearing officer ordered Trahant to return his license and cease any work on active building permits he holds until a successor license holder is substituted or Trahant regains his license. OSHA estimates that Trahant currently holds a number of active building permits in Massachusetts. For example, looking at just five communities, it appears that he held hundreds of such permits between 2020 and 2022. Trahant Jr. Construction Inc. is based in Lynn, Massachusetts.“Employers must never overlook the importance of worker safety, especially when it comes to protecting construction industry workers from falls from elevation,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Galen Blanton in Boston. “William Trahant’s continued failure to protect his employees from the industry’s leading cause of death led the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards to take decisive action.”The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires construction supervisor’s licenses for projects that meet certain thresholds and can revoke them when holders fail to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act.“This decision reinforces that construction industry employers must comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act and make worker safety a priority,” explained Regional Solicitor of Labor Maia Fisher in Boston. “Employers who fail to comply with the federal workplace safety standards risk serious consequences, both federal and state.”OSHA’s Andover area office conducted the inspections. The department’s Office of the Solicitor in Boston litigated the case.The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 1,056 construction workers died on the job in 2022, with 423 of those fatalities related to falls from elevation, making it the leading cause of industry deaths. OSHA’s stop falls website offers safety information and video presentations in English and Spanish to teach workers about fall hazards and proper safety procedures.Learn more about OSHA.

Published at January 08, 2024 at 04:00AM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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