Worker Fatally Falls from Scaffold, Construction Firm Fined $50,000
"Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry and failing to ensure workers use fall protection when required is unacceptable," said Gary Anderson, director of OSHA's Calumet City Area Office.
OSHA has cited Igor Jerema Construction Co. in Buffalo Grove, Ill., for four willful safety violations after a worker applying stucco at a home under construction in Burr Ridge fell off a scaffold and sustained a fatal head injury in May. Proposed penalties total $50,000.
"Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry and failing to ensure workers use fall protection when required is unacceptable," said Gary Anderson, director of OSHA's Calumet City Area Office. "OSHA is committed to protecting workers, especially when employers fail to do so."
Igor Jerema Construction has been cited for failing to provide fall protection for employees working from scaffolding at levels more than 10 feet high, erect scaffold supports on a firm foundation, provide a ladder as a point of access for workers on the scaffold, and fully plank platforms on working levels of the scaffold.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.