OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has released their list of fines for the first quarter of 2021. An Ohio roofing company is listed among the top three (3) occupational safety offenders which got the biggest fines for the previous quarter. A company called Boak and Sons roofing and construction was fined more than $218,000 for Quarter 1, 2021.
Boak and Sons was fined for one serious violation and several other repeated offenses. They had been cited in the past for similar violations. Most of the concerns had to do with Boak and Sons’ lack of fall protection plans. This is important because, according to the most recent reports from OSHA, falls are the number one cause of workplace injuries, especially in the construction business.
For the first quarter of 2021, OSHA levied fines against multiple occupational safety offenders, including some in Ohio, for the following issues:
- Lack of fall protection
- Excavation injuries
- Trenching violations
- Fatal injuries caused by aerial lifts
According to OSHA, if someone is going to operate an aerial lift, they need to undergo specific training. Many of the construction companies do not have their employees take the necessary training courses. This leads to multiple injuries involving aerial lifts.
Some of the other common issues cited by OSHA include the following:
- Falls
- Falling objects
- Ejections
- Tip-overs
- Collapsed structures
- Overhead objects
A majority of accidents reported to OSHA have to do with one of these safety concerns.
As mentioned above, Boak and Sons, located in Youngstown, Ohio, was fined over $218,000 for issues with fall protection protocol. They did manage to settle the matter for $100,356 before the end of the quarter.
If you or your loved one suffer a workplace injury, you may have a potential legal claim. Call our office so you can speak to an experienced Ohio workers compensation attorney.
Source: https://www.constructiondive.com/news/biggest-osha-fines-of-q1-2021/599260/
