Mass. Contractor Faces $311K in Penalties for Exposing Workers to Safety Hazards

Northeast Framing Inc., a contractor based in Lunenberg, Mass., has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for exposing workers to falls and other hazards following an employee’s fatal fall at an East Boston, Mass., worksite in May 2018.

The company faces $311,330 in penalties, the maximum allowed by law.

“Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry,” said OSHA Braintree Area Office Director James Mulligan in a press release. “Employers must provide fall protection and adequately train workers to identify occupational hazards that can cause injury.”

OSHA inspectors determined that Northeast Framing Inc. failed to provide adequate fall protection for employees despite repeated notifications from the project’s general contractor. The company also failed to train employees to recognize and avoid fall, ladder, electrical and other hazards; provide adequate documentation regarding the safety of forklifts; perform regular jobsite safety inspections; notify OSHA of the employee’s work-related death and provide injury and illness logs to OSHA in a timely manner.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor

Topics Workers' Compensation Massachusetts Contractors