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A Delaware homebuilder is being held liable for a severe head injury suffered by a high school student enrolled in a co-op training program with the contractor.
The student had been working for Reybold Homes Inc. at a new multifamily construction site in July 2014 when he fell from an unguarded second-floor balcony and struck his head.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration now says the boy was untrained and was not equipped with fall protection while removing construction debris at a height of more than 11 feet. Fall protection is required at six feet or higher.
Willful, Serious Violations
OSHA cited the company for one willful violation, with a $70,000 penalty, for failure to protect the teen from the fall by providing legally required protection.
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Reybold Group |
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The teen was working at Reybold's Meridian Crossing development when he fell one story. OSHA said he had not been trained or given fall protection.
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A willful violation, OSHA's highest level of infraction, is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirement, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.
A serious citation, with a $7,000 penalty, was also issued because the worker never received training, according to OSHA. Serious violations reflect life-threatening hazards.
High School Co-op
OSHA said the teen had been working for Reybold as part of a cooperative education, or "co-op," program. Such programs allow high school students to integrate classroom learning with supervised, paid work experience.
About 1,000 colleges and universities in 43 countries, with 76,000 employers and 310,000 students, participate annually in co-op programs, according to the Cooperative Education and Internship Association.
The victim's identity was not available. An OSHA official said the boy has not fully recovered from the incident.
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OSHA / Angelo Garcia III |
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OSHA's Stop Falls Campaign offers a variety of resources and materials in English and Spanish to prevent construction's leading cause of death.
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"This young man suffered a preventable injury that requires ongoing treatment, and may affect future employment," Erin G. Patterson, director of OSHA's Wilmington Area Office, said in a statement. "Employers have a responsibility to ensure a safe working environment and safe work practices."
Falls are the leading cause of death in construction and accounted for 27 percent of all worker fatalities in Delaware in 2013, the most recent year for which data are available.
Reybold Homes, a division of the Reybold Group, did not respond Monday (Jan. 26) to a request for comment. The company has 15 days from receipt of its citations to contest them, schedule a meeting with OSHA, or comply.
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