OSHA National News Release
February 12, 2024
New Jersey contractor’s ongoing disregard for safety laws leads to $1M penalty after federal inspection finds workers exposed to falls
OSHA adds Adrian Construction Group LLC to 'severe violator' list
PATERSON, NJ – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a New Jersey contractor for again exposing workers to fall hazards, this time while working at a construction site in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.
OSHA initiated an inspection of Adrian Construction Group LLC in July 2023 under a local emphasis program for falls in construction. The agency issued six willful violations for lack of fall protection and failure to ensure the use of eye protection and four serious violations for unsafe scaffolds and failure to provide hard hats for overhead hazards. The company faces a proposed penalty of $1,017,248 for these violations.
OSHA has inspected Adrian Construction five times since 2016, and in each instance the agency cited the company for failure to provide workers with fall protection. The company has been added to the Severe Violators Enforcement Program due to the egregious nature of the fall violations.
"Adrian Construction, under the ownership of Adrian Perea, continues to show a blatant disregard for the safety of their employees," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. "Placing them on the list of severe violators will intensify our scrutiny of their operations."
Adrian Construction Group LLC is a residential carpentry and framing contractor with 20 employees. The company 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.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 1,069 construction workers died on the job in 2022, with 395 of those fatalities related to falls from elevations. Exposure to fall hazards makes residential framing and roofing work among the deadliest jobs in construction.
OSHA's stop falls website offers safety information and video presentations in English and Spanish to teach workers about fall hazards and proper safety procedures.
Media Contact:
Leni Fortson, 215-861-5102, uddyback-fortson.lenore@dol.gov
Joanna Hawkins, 215-861-5101, hawkins.joanna@dol.gov
Release Number: 24-130-NAT