Since the beginning of 2019, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has issued citations to several Florida-based construction companies. These companies, including Crown Roofing LLC and Bluewater Construction, all received citations for placing their workers in danger.
And since an Orlando incident that led to the death of two construction workers late last year, OSHA seems to be cracking down on construction companies across the state.
Workplace safety is already a serious issue on construction sites
Danger is basically an occupational hazard for construction workers. They face a high risk of injury simply by clocking in.
However, that is why construction companies must do everything in their power to create a safer work environment. Contractors and employers must take extra safety measures, such as:
- Training workers properly
- Informing them of hazards as soon as possible
- Eliminating those hazards quickly
- Providing proper safety equipment free of charge
Most of the Florida construction companies cited failed to provide any of these safety measures.
Many contractors cited for hazardous workplaces
The construction companies OSHA reported received most of the same citations, including:
- Failing to prevent hazards and falling objects
- Failing to supply proper fall protection to workers
- Failing to regulate employee safety standards
- Exposing workers to dangerous substances
Take Crown Roofing for example. Their OSHA citation states that the contractor is in serious violation of OSHA’s workplace safety standards, and they face a fine of more than $13,000 for putting their workers at risk of a severe injury.
Most of the contractors deny the violations.
What can construction workers do?
A safe workplace is the key to preventing workplace injuries, accidents or deaths. This is evident by the number of injuries—and fatalities—that construction workers face each year.
If workers believe their workplace is unsafe, then they have a right to report the hazards to their employer. And if their employer does not fix these hazards, workers can file a report with their local OSHA offices.