The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed $119,350 in fines for Fairview Contractors as a result of seven health and safety violations. These violations were uncovered during an inspection which came as the result of a fatality on a worksite on November 14, 2013. The employee fell from a scaffold 17 feet to his death while performing roofing work.

“This was a needless and avoidable loss of a worker’s life. While guardrails and fall arrest systems were present at this work site, they were not used and were thus useless,” said Mary Hoye, OSHA’s area director for central and western Massachusetts. “Fatalities such as this will stop only when employers supply and ensure the use of effective and legally required fall protection safeguards on all job sites at all times.”

In this case, the employer did provide the correct equipment, however it was not properly made available to employees. And while this may sound absurd, it is actually quite common, especially in non-permanent worksites. For this reason, it is important for anyone who owns a business which is active in multiple worksites, to have a comprehensive safety and health management system in place which is properly disseminated to all relevant employees. A man’s life was lost, a company’s reputation tarnished, and a hefty fine was levied due to worksite carelessness, rather than a true misunderstanding of regulations.

If you have any questions about establishing a safety and health management system, please contact us so that we can help you protect your business. If you have anything to add about the importance of a health and safety management plan or about the case against Fairview Contractors, please leave a comment.