Dive Brief:
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined KB Home Florida and three other Jacksonville, FL, companies $145,000 for fall protection and other violations at a residential subdivision site, the Jacksonville Business Journal reported.
- The agency issued John Whigham Sheeting Inc. one willful citation for failing to provide fall protection equipment for employees working up to 9 feet high.
- KB Home — the sixth-largest homebuilder in the U.S. — was issued a serious citation, and Ezzo Construction LLC and S.A. Robinson Construction were issued repeat citations for not providing fall protection equipment for workers exposed to falls up to 18 feet. OSHA also cited Ezzo for not extending a ladder properly.
Dive Insight:
OSHA area director Brian Sturtecky chalked up the safety violation citations to companies prioritizing production ahead of worker safety, according to the Business Journal.
Now that the citations have been issued, a KB Home representative said the company has 15 days to decide how to proceed.
OSHA continues to make fall protection a priority nationwide through initiatives such as its Stop Falls online information center and its ongoing Fall Prevention Campaign. Both provide guides and other tools to help employers reduce fall risks. Pursuing violators is of prime concern for the agency as well, as it has reported that falls are still the leading cause of construction worker death.
The agency most recently cited and fined Illinois contractor Ziggy’s Roofing $115,000 for exposing workers to dangerous fall hazards at two different work sites within a month. OSHA also cited a Massachusetts roofing contractor for 16 safety violations and fined the company $188,000 for not providing adequate fall protection.
In August of this year, OSHA will likely increase its fines by 80% or more when the agency raises its fine levels for the first time since 1990.
