“It brings us no joy to report that the top OSHA violation of the summer came from a commercial painting contractor. We highlight these jaw-dropping penalties as a crucial reminder of the importance of jobsite safety.“
Water tower fall
The first violation should sound familiar to regular readers of this column. We previously told you about a New Jersey water tower painting contractor that incurred a huge fine for a scary fall.
The company was hired to paint the water tower but didn’t offer adequate fall protection to the painters. Workers were sandblasting and painting the interior and exterior of the water tower as well as replacing the attached ladder used for maintenance.
Because of the lack of fall protection, OSHA alleges, a worker plunged 80 feet and suffered severe injuries. The company was found to have 19 serious violations for failing to provide or install safety equipment.
Total fines: $485.580.
Cave in
Next we travel up to Boston where a waterproofing contractor is on the hook for allegedly exposing workers to life-threatening excavation hazards.
A supervisor recruited untrained day laborers and sent them to work at two dangerous excavation sites despite concerns raised by employees, OSHA alleges.
The excavations collapsed, injuring and burying workers each time.
Worse, the employer made no attempts to rescue a trapped sub last September, instead taking away his phone to prevent him from seeking medical attention, according to OSHA.
Total fines: $394,083
Trench death
Over in Chicago, a framing contractor also had an issue with excavation safety, and this time it resulted in a worker’s death.
The contractor in Easton, Connecticut suffered a trench collapse in December, according to a new release. OSHA investigators determined that the company exposed a total of five workers to cave-ins and other hazards in the 12-foot-deep trench.
Among the problems: Not providing trench protection, not training employees to recognize trench hazards, and letting heavy equipment come within two feet of the trench.
When the trench wall collapsed and buried an employee more than 12 feet deep, it resulted in their death.
Total fines: $394,083
The painting trade may be less dangerous than other aspects of construction, but the No. 1 biggest fine this summer shows that painting contractors are just as at-risk of serious injury and business-breaking fines. Take care not to show up on this list next season, and always use adequate fall protection when working at heights.
