Construction Materials

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...

Secretary Chavez-DeRemer statement on March jobs report WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer issued the following statement regarding the March 2025 Employment Situation Report:“March’s incredibly strong jobs report reflects President Trump’s efforts to reshape and rebuild our economy to put the American Worker First, with over 13,000 construction jobs added. Additionally, growth far exceeded expectations at 228,000 jobs created, demonstrating strong expansion that will only continue when jobs that were previously shipped overseas are brought back to the United States.“As expected, this report also reflects the Trump Administration’s focus on improving efficiency across government. Federal telework numbers are now in-line with the private sector, and federal employment is shrinking while critical sectors throughout the economy are seeing growth. This trend will continue while agencies right-size their workforce and eliminate wasteful contracts, which will save Amer...

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...

Statement by Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su on December jobs report WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued the following statement on the December 2024 Employment Situation report:“Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 256,000 jobs in December, well above market expectations and reflecting a robust and resilient labor market. With unemployment ticking down to 4.1 percent and the three-month average of payroll employment gains at 170,000, this report underscores the strength of our economy as we close out 2024. “December was a particularly strong month for sectors like private healthcare, retail and government, while construction growth over the past year has been driven by non-residential projects. This is also the first economic recovery since the 1970’s in which manufacturing jobs have fully recovered - a testament to the investments and leadership of this administration. “The labor force participation rate h...

Zion contractor again found ignoring protections to prevent workers from suffering disabling, deadly falls from elevation; faces $266K in new fines ZION, IL – Federal inspectors have again cited a Zion contractor with an extensive history of endangering workers by exposing them to fall hazards. The latest violations were discovered when employees were found roofing a residential structure without required fall protections – marking the second such incident in six months and the fifth in two years.Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration observed employees of Miguel A. Esquina Reyes – operating as Corner Construction Corp. – working without legally required fall protection equipment atop a residential structure in Glencoe in August 2024. Falls from elevation are the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries among construction workers and rank among the most frequently cited safety violations by OSHA. In 2022, the Burea...

Owner of Medford construction company sentenced to 18 months for tax crimes, making false statements to federal government Date of action:                       Dec. 10, 2024Type of action:                      SentencingEmployers:                            Mauricio Baiense, owner, Contract Framing Builders Inc.                                                     407R Mystic Ave. Suite 34B, Medford, MA 02155Allegations:                  ...

US Department of Labor finds Louisiana contractor could have prevented 27-year-old worker’s drowning at North Carolina worksite LELAND, NC – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation into the drowning of a 27-year-old heavy equipment operator at a Leland worksite found the employer could have prevented the fatal incident by following established safety regulations.      An investigation by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration into the August 2024 incident found that a heavy equipment operator and a foreman with RIGID Constructors LLC were repositioning a pump at Cell-3 Eagle Island using an amphibious excavator. While attempting to exit the water-filled cell, the machine tipped over, trapping the equipment operator underwater. The crew and emergency responders could not revive equipment operator. OSHA cited the Louisiana contractor with four serious violations for failing to train workers on operating a marsh hoe and for not provid...

US Department of Labor finds worker electrocution tied to Alabama contractor’s expired tools, training failures BESSEMER, AL – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found a local electrical contractor could have prevented a 44-year-old foreman’s electrocution during storm recovery efforts in Coaling by taking critical safety measures to protect their workers. Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration learned the foreman was part of the three-person crew employed by Dexter Fortson Associates Inc. to restore distribution power to a series of natural gas pumps. While trying to replace a broken switch, the foreman suffered fatal electrocution from voltage in energized overhead power lines. OSHA inspectors later learned the switch was energized when the incident occurred. “Electrical work is inherently dangerous, and industry employers must ensure basic safety standards are met to prevent a needless tragedy like th...

US Department of Labor completed 14 impact inspections in November 2024 at mines with histories of repeated health, safety violations WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections in November 2024 at 14 mines in Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia and issued 162 violations and one safeguard.The agency conducts impact inspections at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement because of poor compliance history; previous accidents, injuries and illnesses; and other compliance concerns. Of the 162 violations MSHA identified in November 2024, 44 were evaluated by inspectors as significant and substantial and one had an unwarrantable failure finding. The agency began conducting impact inspections after an April 2010 explosion in West Virginia at the Upper Big Branch Mine killed 2...

US Department of Labor completed 14 impact inspections in November 2024 at mines with histories of repeated health, safety violations WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections in November 2024 at 14 mines in Alabama, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia and issued 162 violations and one safeguard.The agency conducts impact inspections at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement because of poor compliance history; previous accidents, injuries and illnesses; and other compliance concerns. Of the 162 violations MSHA identified in November 2024, 44 were evaluated by inspectors as significant and substantial and one had an unwarrantable failure finding. The agency began conducting impact inspections after an April 2010 explosion in West Virginia at the Upper Big Branch Mine killed 2...

Department of Labor secures consent judgment prohibiting Massachusetts contractor from retaliating against employees Date of action:                                   Nov. 22, 2024Type of action:                                  Consent judgment and orderEmployers:                                        Evolution Group Inc., Junior Moreira de Lima, Vitor Moreira                   ...

US Department of Labor fines Des Plaines solar contractor $288K in penalties for exposing workers to deadly fall hazards DES PLAINES, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a solar panel and battery storage company with two repeat safety violations after federal investigators found the company exposed workers to deadly fall hazards twice within three months. Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration observed employees of Sunrun Installation Services Inc. of Des Plaines working without required fall protection while installing solar panels at two residential homes in the Chicago suburbs – one in Oak Park on June 18, 2024, and another in Skokie on Aug. 8, 2024. Falls from elevations are the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries in the construction industry.OSHA cited the company for two repeat safety violations and proposed $288,087 in penalties. The company has been cited previously for similar violations in Massachusetts in 2...

US Department of Labor finds contractor’s safety failures led to diver’s preventable fatality at underwater worksite at Manns Harbor bridge MANNS HARBOR, NC – A Maryland-based construction contractor could have prevented a 47-year-old diver from suffering fatal injuries during an underwater dive test in June 2024 at the Manns Harbor Bridge on Croatan Sound. Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration learned a four-member dive team employed by Coastal Gunite Construction Co. was doing an underwater test on the worker’s first day of work. Seconds after descending from a boat to about 19-feet underwater, the diver became unresponsive. Once the diver failed to answer radio calls, the other team members responded by removing the diver from the water. Co-workers assisted in getting the employee out of the water and performed CPR while waiting for emergency personnel to arrive. Despite those efforts, the employee could not be...

US Department of Labor awards $99.3M in grants to support training, job services to prepare young people to succeed in high-demand careers WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its award of $99.3 million in grants to 71 organizations in 31 states to provide training and employment services in its continuing effort to expand access to Registered Apprenticeships, prepare young workers for quality jobs and equip them with industry skills.These YouthBuild Program grants will support pre-apprenticeships to educate and train young people from 16 to 24 and neither enrolled in school or now in the labor market for construction jobs and employment in other high-demand industries. YouthBuild grants will help deliver education and training to enable participants to build or rehabilitate affordable housing in their communities for people in need.Today’s awards follow the department’s July 18, 2024, funding availability announcement.“YouthBuild grants are investments i...

Department of Labor finalizes rule on proper fit requirements for personal protective equipment in construction WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has finalized a revision to the personal protective equipment standard for construction. The final rule explicitly requires the equipment to properly fit any construction worker who needs it, improving protections from hazardous conditions.“I’ve talked to workers in construction, particularly women, who have spoken of personal protective equipment that didn’t fit or was simply unavailable at the jobsite in their size,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. “PPE must fit properly to work. I’m proud of the broad support from both employers and unions for OSHA’s efforts to make clear that employers must provide the right PPE for each worker who needs it.”The revision to the standard adds specific language requiring that employers provide ...

Newark roofing contractor faces $328K in fines after investigators find workers exposed repeatedly to fall hazards at 3 worksites in a month NEWARK, NJ – Federal workplace safety officials have again cited a Newark construction contractor for repeatedly violating U.S. Department of Labor safety requirements at three North Jersey worksites, exposing employees to falls from elevations, the construction industry’s leading cause of death and serious injuries. The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspected a RRC Home Improvement Inc. worksite in Dover in June 2024 after receiving reports of employees working on a roof without fall protection. A month after warning the company about the hazard, OSHA inspectors opened inspections at two RRC worksites in Lodi in July 2024 as part of the agency’s National Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction. Again, inspectors observed employees working without required fall protection. The inspectio...

Department of Labor cites North Florida contractors for willfully endangering employees in excavations without required safety protections JACKSONVILLE, FL – In one week, U.S. Department of Labor safety inspectors found two contractors working in Jacksonville and Daytona Beach willfully exposing employees to one of the construction industry’s deadliest hazards: trench and excavation collapses and cave-ins. On May 28, 2024, inspectors with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration witnessed workers employed by Masci General Contractor Inc. installing a sewer line in a trench 6-feet-deep and 40-feet-long near International Speedway and Atlantic Avenue in Daytona Beach. OSHA inspectors initiated the removal of the employees from the trench and subsequently, the agency issued a citation to the employer for willfully endangering workers by failing to provide essential cave-in protection, such as shoring or trench boxes, while they worked in the ...

Lake Zurich roofing contractor continues to ignore safety regulations, exposing workers to deadly fall hazards in 8 inspections since 2020 LAKE ZURICH, IL – For the eighth time since 2020, federal workplace safety inspectors have cited a Lake Zurich roofing contractor for exposing workers to falls from elevation, the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries among people employed in the construction industry.Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration observed employees of Fino Exterior Inc. working atop residential structures without legally required fall protection equipment on four occasions in 2024, in Palatine on Feb. 6, Orland Park on June 12, Palos Heights on Aug. 16 and Shorewood on Oct. 16. Fino Exterior’s troubling history of ignoring federal safety regulations continued as OSHA cited the company for 13 safety violations in three inspections in four months and proposed $262,631 in penalties. “Fino Exterior’s blatant...

Department of Labor obtains judgment ordering Arizona contractor to pay $1.7M after defrauding drywall workers of wages owed PHOENIX – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a judgment in federal court ordering a drywall contractor in Arizona to pay more than $1.7 million in back wages and damages to 246 workers.The action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division finding Bean Drywall Inc., a residential drywall contractor, paid the affected workers either straight-time rates or piece rates for all hours worked but failed to pay employees overtime rates required by the Fair Labor Standards Act.“Bean Drywall used fraudulent practices to disguise the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages earned by hundreds of employees,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Eric Murray in Phoenix. “This employer’s willful and deceitful acts were designed to cover-up their inexcusable behavior.”I...

US Department of Labor kicks off 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the start of National Apprenticeship Week, an annual event that showcases the ways Registered Apprenticeship improves career pathways and expands U.S. workers’ access to good-paying jobs across industries. In its 10th year, National Apprenticeship Week will include over 1,300 apprenticeship events, across all 50 states and U.S. territories, and over 800 proclamations reflecting the theme, “Celebrating 10 Years of Engagement, Expansion and Innovation.” These events and proclamations will focus on Registered Apprenticeship’s ability to bring together key national, regional, state and local stakeholders across the country to meet critical workforce needs and give job seekers on-ramps to attractive career pathways in high-growth, high-demand industry sectors such as infrastructure, cybersecurity, healthcare, construction and education. Throughou...