May 1, 2024

US Department of Labor finds Georgia construction contractor could have prevented 31-year-old worker’s fatal fall in Arcadia

Landmark Erecting Inc. cited for similar fall violation 10 months earlier

ARCADIA, FL – A Georgia construction contractor's failure to enforce safety regulations at an Arcadia worksite led to a 31-year-old steel erector suffering fatal fall injuries, an incident caused by the same workplace safety violations for which federal inspectors cited the employer just 10 months earlier.

A U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation determined a three-person crew employed by Landmark Erecting Inc. of Hahira was installing metal roofing sheets on a building in November 2023, when one worker fell 12 feet onto a concrete slab below and suffered traumatic head injuries.

OSHA cited the employer for a repeat violation for again not ensuring a worker used fall protection as they walked along a roof frame. The agency cited the company for a similar violation at a Tallahassee workplace in January 2023.

"Landmark Erecting's repeated failure to follow required safeguards to protect employees from falls, especially after we cited the company less than a year earlier for exposing workers to this potentially deadly hazard, is inexcusable," said OSHA Area Director Danelle Jindra in Tampa, Florida. "All employers – construction industry employers included – are legally obligated to provide workers with a safe and healthy work environment."

The agency also cited the employer with a serious violation for failing to ensure the availability of accessible medical treatment for the injured employee and an other-than-serious violation for not reporting a work-related fatality within 8 hours, as the law requires. OSHA proposed $46,550 in penalties to address the violations, an amount set by federal statute.

In 2022, 307 Florida workers in all industries died due to workplace injuries. Of them, falls, slips and trips were the cause of 78 fatalities, up from 69 in 2021.

Incorporated in 2021 in Hahira, Landmark Erecting Inc. is a building contractor specializing in construction of prefabricated metal buildings. The company also incorporated in Adel in 2023. The company employs about 14 workers.

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. Learn more about OSHA and fall protection.

Visit OSHA's website for information on developing a workplace safety and health program. Employers can also contact the agency for information about OSHA's compliance assistance resources and for free help on complying with OSHA standards.

Media Contacts:

Eric R. Lucero, 678-237-0630, lucero.eric.r@dol.gov
Erika B. Ruthman, 678-237-0630, ruthman.erika.b@dol.gov

Release Number:  24-669-ATL (120)