September 6, 2016

OSHA again finds Indiana framing contractor failing to protect workers
from dangerous fall hazards; proposes $44K in penalties
After second failed inspection in five months, LLG Construction named severe violator

PERRYSBURG, Ohio - For the second time in five months, federal inspectors have cited an Indiana framing contractor for failing to protect workers from fall hazards on residential construction sites. Preventable falls account for nearly 40 percent of all deaths in the construction industry.

As the construction industry continues to grow, falls continue to be the leading cause of death. Source: http://www.bls.gov

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued LLG Construction of Grabill, Indiana, four repeated safety violations on Aug. 22, 2016. OSHA has proposed penalties of $44,095 and placed the company in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

Federal investigators observed four workers exposed to fall hazards at two stories high as they constructed a Perrysburg home on May 12, 2016. Inspectors found LLG failed to provide an adequate fall protection system and to train employees to work safely at heights. OSHA also cited the company for exposing workers to fall hazards in March 2016 and December 2014.

Inspectors also found LLG Construction failed to:

• Provide eye and face protection.
• Develop a safety program.

"It is inconceivable that an employer continues to recklessly expose workers to serious injury and death by failing to provide fall protection and train workers to avoid hazards," said Kim Nelson, OSHA's area director in Toledo. "OSHA is committed to protecting construction workers from unnecessary injuries or worse."

View current citations here.

Federal safety and health officials are determined to reduce the numbers of preventable, fall-related deaths in the construction industry. OSHA offers a Stop Falls online resource with detailed information in English and Spanish on fall protection standards. The page provides fact sheets, posters and videos that illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures. OSHA standards require that an effective form of fall protection be in use when workers perform construction activities 6 feet or more above the next lower level.

The ongoing Fall Prevention Campaign was developed in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and NIOSH's National Occupational Research Agenda program. Begun in 2012, the campaign provides employers with lifesaving information and educational materials on how to prevent falls, provide the right equipment for workers and train employees to use gear properly.

LLG Construction LLC 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.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report amputations, eye loss, workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Toledo area office at 419-259-7542.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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Media Contacts:

Scott Allen, 312-353-6976, allen.scott@dol.gov
Rhonda Burke, 312-353-6976, burke.rhonda@dol.gov

Release Number: 16-1681-CHI

U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The department's Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).