ConDig (02-Aug-18).  Florida-based paving contractor Pavemax Corp is facing a fine of $16,814 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for safety violations after an employee suffered fatal injuries at a project in Orange City.

The agency said that inspectors found that a paver operator lacked proper training to use the equipment and was allowed to stand on the equipment while it was in motion, and subsequently fell and was pulled under the paver.

The Holly Hill-based paving company faces fines, including the maximum penalty under the law, for failing to provide a place of employment free from recognized hazards.

“This tragedy could have been prevented if employees were trained properly on operating equipment safely,” said OSHA Jacksonville area office acting director Buddy Underwood.

Pavemax has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings.

Last month, roofing contractor Ketz Roofing in Menasha, Wisconsin, was fined $48,777 by OSHA for exposing employees to fall hazards.

A Florida-based roofing contractor was also fined $149,662 for exposing workers

to fall hazards at a construction project in Jupiter, Florida. Sarasota-based Crown Roofing LLC was cited for one repeat violation for failing to utilize a guardrail, safety net, or personal fall arrest systems while working at heights greater than 6 feet.

A 2016 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released in December showed that the rate of fatal injuries in the construction industry increased 6% in 2016 to 991 worker deaths compared with 937 in 2015.

BLS figures showed that falls, struck by objects, electrocutions and caught-in/between accounted for 63.7% of all construction worker deaths in last year. There was a rise in total construction worker deaths for each of the “Fatal Four” in 2016.