Company facing fines over $222,000
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has again cited a Pueblo, Colorado home manufacturing company for exposing employees to risks of falls in the workplace.
In two follow-up inspections in February, OSHA found that Key Structures LLC continues to expose employees to defective scaffolding and ladders, and failing to train workers on scaffolding safety. It cited the employer for 13 willful, repeat and serious violations.
Citations for the company include one willful violation for using damaged scaffolding, one repeat violation for failing to train workers on scaffolding safety and seven serious violations, including unsafe use of ladders and scaffolding, failure to use personal fall protection and unsafe storage of compressed gas cylinders. The employer faces proposed penalties totaling $222,055.
“Key Structures’ willful and continued negligence shows an intentional disregard for worker safety,” said Chad Vivian, OSHA area director, in Greenwood Village, Colorado. “Falls are a leading cause of worker deaths which is why employers must train workers on scaffolding safety and comply with fall prevention standards. [It’s] our job to hold them accountable when they don’t.”
OSHA conducted the investigations after the company failed to abate numerous violations found in September 2020 and January 2021 investigations that involved workers falling from a scaffold and a ladder.
Previously, SD Roofing Ltd. was fined $20K for exposing workers to risk of falls in the workplace.
Also, R.M. Belanger Limited was fined $175,000 after pleading guilty to a violation that resulted in the death of one worker in a collapsing bridge incident.
