ConDig (22-Feb-24) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined a Boston, Massachusetts-based contractor $306,229 for falls violations on a residential worksite in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood.
Brothers Construction Services Inc. – which also operates as Brothers Construction and Roofing and Brothers Roofing – was cited for eight willful, repeat, serious and other than serious violations including a lack of adequate fall protection, scaffolding, ladders, safety training.
“Falls remain the number one killer in construction work, year in and year out. Yet, this employer and too many others repeatedly fail to provide and ensure basic, commonsense and legally required safeguards for their employees,” said OSHA area director James Mulligan.
“At this worksite, OSHA inspectors observed eight workers exposed to falls of up to 20 feet due to lack of fall protection, employee training, an improperly erected scaffold and failure to have a competent person inspect the jobsite to identify and correct hazards.”
Since 2011, OSHA has cited Brothers Construction Services Inc. and/or commonly owned Brothers Construction and Roofing, Brothers Roofing and AS General Construction & Roofing Inc. for similar hazards at worksites.
Brothers Construction Services Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Falls in construction continue to be a leading cause of work-related fatalities. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 700 fatalities in 2022 due to falls to lower level, a 2.9 percent increase from 680 fatalities the year before. Since 2012, OSHA has partnered with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and National Occupational Research Agenda – Construction Sector on the Fall Prevention Campaign to raise awareness among workers and employers about common fall hazards in construction, and how falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs can be prevented