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

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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...
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Department of Labor finds appalling disregard of safety standards by building contractor in collapse of Boise airport hangar that killed 3 workers

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Department of Labor finds appalling disregard of safety standards by building contractor in collapse of Boise airport hangar that killed 3 workers
BOISE, ID – A federal workplace safety investigation into the fatal injury of three workers and injuries to at least eight others, after an airport hangar collapsed near the Boise Airport in January 2024, found the building contractor ignored standard safety procedures and visible warning signs during construction.Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration responded to the scene of the deadly incident and discovered Big D Builders Inc. of Meridian had begun erecting the hangar without using sufficient bracing or tensioned guy wires. OSHA also learned the construction contractor had ignored numerous indications that the structure was unstable, including visibly curved, bent and wavy structural I-beams, unbalanced columns and several snapped wire rope cables. Despite these obvious concerns, federal inspectors determined Big D Builders continued to add 150-foot-long bays to the football field-sized project. OSHA found the bays were visibly not straight and that the contractor left many critical connecting bolts loose and, rather than installing additional bracing or temporary guy lines per steel erection industry standards, used straps to straighten the additional spans.“Big D Builders’ blatant disregard for federal safety regulations cost three workers their lives and caused at least eight others to suffer painful injuries,” explained OSHA Area Director David Kearns in Boise, Idaho. “The company’s irresponsible construction methods left the aircraft hangar’s structure extremely vulnerable.” In addition, OSHA found the contractor failed to train workers to properly construct steel spans and allowed cranes and other construction equipment to operate in mud and standing water, exposing workers to risk of the equipment overturning. “The tragic loss and pain suffered by so many is compounded by the fact that Big D Builders could have prevented all of this from happening,” Kearns added. “We cannot put a value on the loss of life, but we will use all our resources to hold employers accountable when they willfully ignore safety regulations and expose workers to serious and fatal injuries. We encourage other employers to remember the risks of ignoring federal OSHA and industry safety standards.”OSHA cited Big D Builders for one willful violation and three serious violations of federal safety regulations and proposed $198,586 in penalties. The agency also cited Inland Crane Inc. of Boise with one serious safety violation and proposed $10,163 in penalties for exposing workers to collapse hazards due to failures to ensure stability during the hangar erection process.Based in Meridian, Big D Builders Inc. is a design-build contractor that offers site evaluation, architectural and engineering consulting, drafting and project management services to clients in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 1,056 construction workers died on the job.The companies have 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Learn more about OSHA. 

Published at July 29, 2024 at 05:00AM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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