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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 20%, or 1 in 5, of all workplace fatalities occur in the construction industry. Of those deaths, almost 40% are due to falls. Falls from heights are a serious problem in all industries and lead to many safety violations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) contends a Boaz, Alabama mobile home manufacturer could have prevented a 62-year-old roofing worker’s death could have been prevented if the company had followed required fall protection standards. After an investigation, the company, Kabco Builders Inc., has been fined $81,463 in penalties.
Worker fell 10 feet to his death
Kabco Builders began constructing mobile homes in 2003. According to their website, the “company boasts a cumulative experience of over 90 years in the accounting, production, engineering, and sales of manufactured homes.” The small community must have been in shock after a worker fell to his death while loading shingles from a platform and a mobile home’s roof. The Boaz police, coroner’s office, and OSHA investigated the incident.
OSHA cites Kabco Builders with 10 serious safety violations
OSHA’s investigation found that Kabco Builders did not provide fall protection, failed to train workers on safety when they were working at heights of 4-feet or more, did not train their forklift drivers, and didn’t require workers who were applying adhesives to wear personal protective equipment. The company could have chosen to comply with the citations or contest the findings, but they provided abatement and paid the penalties.
OSHA Area Office Director, Joel Batiz in Birmingham, Alabama said, “employers like Kabco Builders must know and understand the importance of fall protection standards and related training.”
Let this be a lesson for all businesses to protect employees against serious workplace hazards.
OSHA offers free help for employers on developing a workplace health and safety plan. Workers can also contact OSHA for compliance assistance. Employees who contact OSHA are protected under several whistleblower acts.
