Wisconsin Contractor Faces Over $144,000 in OSHA Penalties for Repeated Violations

Wisconsin Contractor Faces Over $144,000 in OSHA Penalties for Repeated Violations

With a history of OSHA violations, the company repeatedly failed to protect workers from deadly fall hazards.

  • By Robert Yaniz Jr.
  • Sep 13, 2024

Wisconsin-based GL Construction of Madison LLC, has once again been cited for serious safety violations after a federal inspection revealed employees working at dangerous heights without adequate fall protection.

According to a recent release, OSHA opened the investigation in February 2024 after observing six workers performing framing work up to 12 feet off the ground at a Verona, Wisconsin, residential construction site. 

The inspection, part of the National Emphasis Program for Falls, resulted in proposed penalties totaling $144,505. GL Construction received one willful, two repeat, and five serious violations for failing to protect workers from fall hazards.

The company’s history of safety failures includes a fatal incident in 2022, when an employee was killed after being struck by a 1,000-pound wall during a high-wind crane lift. That accident led to nine serious violations, as well as additional fines and citations. According to OSHA, the company has yet to pay penalties or provide abatement information related to that fatality.

“GL Construction of Madison has repeatedly exposed its employees to potentially fatal injuries and shows a blatant and callous disregard for their safety and welfare,” OSHA Area Director Chad Greenwood in Madison, Wisconsin, said in a statement. “This company must bring its workplace safety program in compliance with federal regulations immediately, as it agreed to do after an employee passed away in April 2022. Employers have no excuse for ignoring their legal and moral responsibilities and putting profit before people.”

GL Construction of Madison now has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA or contest the findings before an independent commission.

About the Author

Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.

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