Homebuilder Exposes Workers to Dangerous Falls at Job Site: OSHA
D.R. Horton Inc. and Garcia Carpentry LLC received repeat and serious citations.
OSHA inspectors observed employees installing roofing sheathing without fall protection, and the agency has cited D.R. Horton Inc., as well as Garcia Carpentry LLC, for five safety violations at an Ocala, Fla., site. The inspection was part of the agency's regional emphasis program on falls in construction.
D.R. Horton was issued one repeated citation for failing to ensure subcontractor employees were protected with a fall protection system when working at heights of up to 25 feet. Garcia Carpentry was issued a repeated citation for the same violation, as well as an additional repeated citation for allowing workers to use the top step of a ladder to access roofing trusses.
"Both D.R. Horton and Garcia Carpentry recognize the hazards associated with working at heights more than 6 feet, yet failed to provide employees with the training, protection, and tools required to safeguard them from the construction industry's leading cause of death - unprotected falls," said Brian Sturtecky, OSHA's area director in Jacksonville. "Four in 10 industry fatalities result from preventable falls. The consequences of not being prepared and complacent can lead to disaster. Employers must be diligent and demand safe work practices on all job sites."