US Department of Labor, Missouri roofing contractor reach agreement after teen worker’s fatal fall in 2023

-
US Department of Labor, Missouri roofing contractor reach agreement after teen worker’s fatal fall in 2023 JAMESPORT, MO – The U.S. Department of Labor reached an agreement with Jamesport roofing contractor John Troyer after a federal investigation determined he violated federal laws, resulting in a teen worker’s fatal fall in March 2023.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that Troyer, owner of Troyer Construction LLP which operates as Troyer Roofing & Coatings, failed to provide workers with required fall protection. A separate investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division found he violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by employing minors illegally in roofing work from May 2022 to June 2023.Under the agreement, Troyer must pay $290,000, which includes $156,259 in OSHA penalties, $15,000 in child labor penalties, and $118,741 in criminal fines to the U.S. Department of Justice. The company will also enroll in...
Post a Comment

US Department of Labor finds Watertown contractor did not provide required safeguards to prevent employee fatality in Brighton

-
US Department of Labor finds Watertown contractor did not provide required safeguards to prevent employee fatality in Brighton
BRAINTREE, MA – The U.S. Department of Labor has determined that a Watertown roofing contractor again violated federal regulations for fall protections, following a workplace safety investigation into how an employee suffered fatal injuries after falling about 27 feet as they tried to carry materials and climb a ladder jack scaffold at a Brighton work site in September 2023.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited OJR Construction Inc. in March 2017 and September 2019 for failing to protect employees from fall hazards by complying with required safety standards.“Two previous OSHA inspections made it clear to OJR Construction what protections had to be in place to protect employees from potentially debilitating or deadly falls, but the company chose to ignore its responsibilities,” said OSHA Area Director James Mulligan in Braintree, Massachusetts. “As a result, a worker died needlessly, leaving family, friends and co-workers to grieve their loss and the company to face the consequences.”OSHA inspectors found the company willfully exposed employees to fall hazards by not providing a safety net or personal fall arrest or guardrail systems, and by failing to have a program to train employees to recognize and address fall hazards. The agency’s investigation also determined that the company exposed workers to falls and other hazards by not complying with OSHA regulations that required: Installing guard rails on scaffolds or determining the tipping weight of scaffold planks that extended more than 18 inches over a supporting surface, exposing employees to falls over 15 feet.Guaranteeing ladder side rails extended at least 3 feet above the upper landing surface being accessed.Ensuring the area below the scaffold and ladders within the pathway of vehicular traffic were barricaded to prevent fall and struck by hazards.Having a competent person on site to ensure the use of fall protection. Preventing debris from accumulating at the bottom of ladders to provide safe access to the worksite.Providing and ensuring eye protection for employees using nail guns. Following its investigation, the agency cited OJR Construction Inc. for one willful violation and 10 serious violations and assessed $88,721 in proposed penalties, an amount set by federal statute. View the citations issued to OJR Construction Inc.Based in Watertown, the company provides residential and commercial construction contracting services.The employer has chosen to contest OSHA’s citations before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 1,069 construction workers died on the job. Of those deaths, 395 related to falls from elevations. 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. 

Published at May 13, 2024 at 05:00AM
Read more at https://dol.gov

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Phoenix drywall, painting contractor must pay more than $7.4M in wages, damages after deliberately denying overtime to over 1,400 employees

-
Phoenix drywall, painting contractor must pay more than $7.4M in wages, damages after deliberately denying overtime to over 1,400 employees PHOENIX – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment ordering two commonly owned Arizona drywall and painting companies to pay $7,450,000 in back wages and damages after investigators found the employers willfully denied overtime pay to more than 1,400 employees.The Jan. 15, 2025 judgment by the U.S. District Court of the District of Arizona follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division that found Apodaca Wall Systems Inc. and Empire Wall Systems Inc. in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The companies, owned by Arnold Apodaca and his children Michael and Brittany Apodaca, attempted to evade payment of overtime wages by paying hourly employees with multiple checks at straight-time rates for all hours worked. They also used labor brokers to hire hourly workers who were paid in cash at st...
Read more

Settlement affirms willful OSHA violations, $215K penalties, against contractors for fall hazards at multiple New Jersey work sites

-
Settlement affirms willful OSHA violations, $215K penalties, against contractors for fall hazards at multiple New Jersey work sites HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ – Two related North Jersey construction contractor companies – Primetime Construction LLC and its subsidiary Primetime Contractors LLC of Paterson – have agreed to pay $215,000 in penalties and undertake several significant safety measures to resolve numerous safety violations found at five Paterson construction worksites in 2021, as part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration initially cited Primetime Contractors LLC for four willful violations that occurred in September 2021 after agency inspectors found the employer exposing workers to fall hazards by repeatedly failing to ensure construction site stairways at company worksites had handrails and stair rails, even after being counseled by OSHA about the relevant safety requirements. Primetime Contrac...
Read more

Department of Labor encourages construction industry employers, stakeholders to join 2024 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls

-
Department of Labor encourages construction industry employers, stakeholders to join 2024 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is encouraging construction industry employers and workers across the nation to take part in its 11th annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction from May 6-10. The event focuses attention on preventing the industry’s leading cause of worker deaths.The national stand-down recommends employers and workers pause voluntarily during the workday for safety demonstrations, hazard recognition and fall prevention training, and “tool-box” talks about hazards, protective methods and their company’s safety policies, goals and expectations. This year, OSHA is partnering with Construction Safety Week, an organization of more than 70 national and global construction firms, to enlist employers in the U.S. to create the largest industry-wide cons...
Read more