OSHA fines 'serial violator' Berlin Builders $386K

Dive Brief:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has once again cited New Jersey’s Berlin Builders with multiple safety violations, this time at four different residential project sites in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and has fined the company $385,836.
In this latest series of violations, OSHA cited Berlin for two willful, nine repeat, eight serious and one other-than-serious violation for fall protection hazards, as well as other unsafe job site conditions.
Berlin, only incorporated in March 2015, has now been inspected by OSHA 23 times in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and has racked up a multitude of OSHA violations and total suggested fines in excess of $600,000.

Dive Insight:

"Berlin Builders is a serial violator that callously refuses to take even the most basic steps to protect workers from falls and other serious hazards in construction, an industry among the nation's most hazardous," Richard Mendelson, OSHA regional administrator in Philadelphia, said in a release. "Approximately four in 10 construction workers die in falls at work. It is vital that construction companies take responsibility for protecting their workers from preventable injuries and serious hazards."

This latest round of inspections in Delaware and Pennsylvania included sites being developed by Ryland Homes, LC Construction, Ryan Homes and Re-Alliance Real Estate Development, according to the agency. Berlin was under contract on each of the sites where violations occurred, but, according to The News Journal, Berlin may operate under different business names.

"The company is suspected of rebranding frequently," OSHA spokeswoman Leni Uddyback-Forston told The News Journal in an email reply. The News Journal also expanded on OSHA’s list of violations and reported that OSHA inspectors found Berlin Builders did not provide the required ladders, ramps or walkways for those employees working on scaffold platforms 10 to 20 feet above the ground and failed to furnish guardrails as well.

In an effort to teach construction employers and workers how to prevent job site injuries, OSHA has organized its third annual N ational Safety Stand-Down, which will take place May 2-6, 2016. According to OSHA, falls continue to be the leading cause of construction industry deaths.