Teenager's On-the-Job Training Results in Severe Injury After Fall
OSHA has cited Reybold Homes Inc. for willfully violating safety laws.
A Delaware high school student suffered a severe head injury after a one-story fall off an unguarded balcony at a local construction site, according to a news release from OSHA.
The young man was hurt while removing construction debris from an unguarded balcony at a new, multi-family construction site as a cooperative education student employed by Reybold Homes Inc. OSHA determined the company willfully exposed him to fall hazards by not providing proper safeguards.
"This young man suffered a preventable injury that requires ongoing treatment and may affect future employment," said Erin G. Patterson, director of OSHA's Wilmington Area Office. "Employers have a responsibility to ensure a safe working environment and safe work practices."
OSHA cited the company for one willful violation, with a $70,000 penalty, for failure to protect the teen worker from the fall by providing legally required protections. A serious citation was also issued because the worker never received training, according to the agency.