Contractor Fined Legal Maximum After Worker’s Fatal Fall
Northeast Framing Inc. faces a penalty total of $311,330, the maximum allowed by law.
OSHA announced it has cited Lunenberg, Mass.-based Northeast Framing Inc. for exposing workers to falls and other hazards after an employee's fatal fall at an East Boston, Mass., work site in May 2018. Northeast Framing Inc. faces a penalty total of $311,330, the maximum allowed by law.
In its inspection, OSHA determined that the company failed to provide employees with adequate fall protection despite repeated notifications from the project's general contractor. Northeast Framing Inc. also failed to train employees to recognize fall, electrical, ladder, and other hazards, as well as provide adequate forklift safety documentation, perform job site safety inspections regularly, notify OSHA of the employee's work-related death, and provide injury and illness logs to OSHA in a timely fashion.
"Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry. Employers must provide fall protection and adequately train workers to identify occupational hazards that can cause injury," OSHA Braintree Area Office Director James Mulligan said.
Northeast Framing Inc. 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 Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.