Dive Brief:
- The death of a worker who fell 29 feet at a Canyon Lake, Texas, condominium construction site on January 14 has led the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to cite the general contractor and seven subcontractors for safety violations.
- The general contractor on the job, the Underwood Group Inc., and the man's employer, MZ Flooring Partners of San Antonio, were cited for serious violations along with Longhorn Concrete Co., Meekins Electric Co., Chabert Plumbing LLC, Bowers Construction Co., Luis Guajardo, and Cutting Edge Builders.
- The fines that OSHA ordered, which are subject to appeal, totaled $53,480.
Dive Insight:
OSHA has been pushing the industry to detect and correct fall dangers at construction sites as they are the cause of a significant percentage of construction workplace deaths. "The cost of providing fall prevention equipment is nominal compared with the senseless loss of life," said Casey Perkins, area director for OSHA's Austin office.