OSHA Cites Company After a Deadly Fall on a Brooklyn Building Project
The employee’s harness was not secured as required.
- By Shereen Hashem
- Jun 18, 2021
Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry. According to a press release, a 21-year-old laborer fell around 50 feet as he installed a supported tubular welded frame scaffold during the construction of a seven-story building in Brooklyn. An OSHA investigation of the Nov. 13, 2020 incident found Everest Scaffolding Inc. out of the Bronx did not ensure the laborer’s fall harness was attached, which is a requirement to check.
“This tragedy could have been prevented if Everest Scaffolding had provided appropriate training on fall hazards and ensured workers were using fall protection correctly,” said OSHA Area Director Kay Gee in Manhattan.
According to a press release, OSHA proposed= $300,370 in penalties for two willful and two serious safety violations. The agency found that the company:
- Failed to evaluate the feasibility of using fall protection and failed to use feasible fall protection during the erection of a supported scaffold.
- Did not properly train employees on fall hazards associated with scaffold work.
- Did not determine if the anchorage for employees' personal fall arrest systems could support at least 5,000 pounds.
View the citations here.
Everest Scaffolding has contested OSHA’s findings to OSHRC.
About the Author
Shereen Hashem is the Associate Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety magazine.