Illinois Contractor Faces $278,452 in Penalties for Repeated Fall Hazard Violations
Miller Building Systems and related companies have been cited 20 over the past decade.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Jan 04, 2024
Elmer Miller, an Illinois roofing contractor operating as Miller Building Systems LLC, has come under criticism for continuously exposing construction workers to fall hazards. Following two recent inspections, Miller's company faces OSHA penalties amounting to $278,452.
According to a recent release, OSHA inspectors in Savoy, Illinois, observed Miller's employees performing residential framing work on houses, notably at the Prairie Meadows subdivision on June 26 and July 26, 2023. The workers were seen climbing and walking on roofs, beams and top plates without any fall protection, sometimes at heights of more than 18 feet.
In the past decade, Miller’s companies have been cited 20 times by OSHA for similar violations, including repeated and willful disregard of safety protocols. The cumulative penalties exceeded $900,000, most involving an absence of fall protection and remaining unpaid. Between August and November 2023, OSHA conducted five additional inspections involving Miller’s companies.
“Preventable falls remain the construction industry’s leading cause of death and injuries,” OSHA Area Director Edward Marshall in Peoria, Illinois, said in a statement. “Elmer Miller’s repeated failure to follow federal workplace safety rules shows a disturbing disregard for his employee’s lives and well-being.”
In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1,069 construction worker fatalities, with 395 due to falls from elevation. For the 13th consecutive year, fall protection was also the most frequently cited OSHA violation across all industries for fiscal year 2023.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.