Three Contractors Cited Following Worker Death After 12-Foot Fall
Each contractor faces at least one serious citation.
- By Alex Saurman
- Feb 07, 2023
Three contractors are facing citations after an incident that led to the death of a 31-year-old employee.
In August 2022, the employee, working for Big Hammer LLC, died at the hospital after falling 12 feet and becoming injured, according to a news release. OSHA cited three contractors after the incident: Mad Dog Design and Construction Company Inc., the primary contractor, and Forgotten Coast Crane Service Inc. and Big Hammer, both subcontractors.
Mad Dog Design and Construction Company was issued a serious violation and $6,250 in proposed penalties because workers did not have fall protection systems while “on the top plates of the walls and rood truss components,” the agency said.
Forgotten Coast Crane Service’s two serious violations were issued because custom-made hooks were not proof-tested and communication stopped between the crane operator and hand signal person, per the citations. In total, the company now faces proposed penalties of $8,037.
OSHA cited Big Hammer for violations for a lack of fall protection systems, incorrectly “stored, handled and installed” trusses and “allow[ing] unqualified employees to perform hand signal activities for crane operations,” per the agency, which proposed $25,001 in penalties.
"A worker's life was needlessly lost because the employers did not follow required construction safety procedures," said OSHA Acting Area Office Director Scott Tisdale in Jacksonville, Florida, in the news release.
"Employers must never overlook fundamental industry safety procedures, such as safety communication and fall protection systems. Ignoring them puts workers at risk and can lead to tragedies like this one,” Tisdale continued.
Falls to a lower level in the construction industry resulted in the death of 351 workers in 2020, according to OSHA, totaling more than 34 percent of all construction deaths.
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.