August 12, 2024

Metro-Chicago contractor again found ignoring federal safety regulations, exposing employees to deadly fall hazards at Frankfort worksite

Dromin Development of Palos Park faces $268K in penalties for chronic violations

PALOS PARK, IL – A federal workplace safety investigation has found that a metro-Chicago carpentry contractor with a long history of exposing employees to potentially deadly hazards again ignored regulations to protect workers from falls.

For the seventh time since 2013, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Dromin Development LLC for not providing required safety equipment and training to employees building a new home in Frankfort. The company currently owes more than $114,000 in unpaid penalties for similar willful and serious violations.

The March 2024 inspection in Frankfort determined Dromin allowed employees to work at heights greater than six feet without fall protection and failed to provide training in fall protection and proper forklift operation. OSHA also noted workers failed to wear hard hats and used ladders improperly.

OSHA cited the Palos Park construction contractor for two repeat violations and one willful, one serious and one other-than-serious violation. The agency has proposed $268,309 in penalties.

"Each year, hundreds of workers die in preventable falls. Making sure workers wear fall protection each time they work at heights six feet or greater can be the difference between life or death,"" said OSHA's Chicago South Area Director James Martineck in Tinley Park, Illinois. "OSHA continues to work with the construction industry to address this deadly hazard and will continue to hold all employers accountable when they fail to provide safe working conditions."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 1,056 construction workers died on the job in 2022, with 423 of those fatalities related to falls from elevation, slips or trips.  

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.

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. 

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 OSHA’s website to learn more. 

Media Contacts:

Scott Allen, 312-353-4727, allen.scott@dol.gov
Rhonda Burke, 312-353-4807, burke.rhonda@dol.gov

Release Number: 24-1540-CHI