'One Slip Away from Death'
A Florida subcontractor with multiple egregious fall violations already under its belt is facing a new case that carries nearly $80,000 in fines.
Transformers Construction Services Inc., of Jacksonville, FL, "is aware workers need to be protected from dangerous falls, but deliberately allows employees to work one slip away from death," said Brian Sturtecky, area director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has brought the new case.
5 Cases, 4 Years
OSHA issued one willful citation, carrying a $70,000 fine, against Transformers Construction for allowing employees to conduct residential roofing work at heights up to 16 feet without fall protection.
The OSHA citations note that the company has been cited for willful, repeat and serious violations of the same standard on five occasions since 2011.
All of the earlier cases were contested, and all of the citations were affirmed on appeal, the citations show.
OSHA's enforcement records were unavailable Wednesday (Feb. 25), so the earlier penalties and status of those cases could not be determined.
Transformers Construction Services could not be reached for comment Wednesday. The company has no website, and the listed phone number was disconnected.
'A Blind Eye'
The current case involves lack of fall protection on a homebuilding project Oct. 1, 2014, in St. Johns FL. According to OSHA, employees were working up to 16 feet high without guardrails, safety nets or personal fall protection.
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The new citations, like the previous cases, allege violations at a Florida homebuilding site. |
The inspection was initiatied under the agency's Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction.
The serious violations allege failure to:
Proposed penalties in the case total $79,900.
Transformers was working as a subcontractor for A&G Construction Group Inc., of Jacksonville. A&G was not cited in the case, but OSHA offered a general warning to general contractors about ensuring safety on their projects.
"Home builders and general contractors that continue to hire and turn a blind eye to their sub-contractor's poor safety record is an unacceptable work practice," Sturtecky said.
