A Georgia-based contractor faces $40,000 in fines from OSHA following a fatal fall at a Niagara Falls, New York hotel construction site. DEC Management Inc. of Athens, Georgia was cited for six alleged serious violations of safety standards.
The proposed fines come after an October 3rd incident in which an employee was killed and another was injured when the precast concrete panel on which they were standing shifted and fell 25 feet to the ground.
"Falls are the number one killer in construction work," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's area director in Buffalo. "This case is the starkest example of what happens when basic, vital safeguards are ignored. This tragedy could have been prevented had these safeguards been in place."
The inspection by OSHA found that the panel was not secured and lacked the strength and structural integrity to safely support the employees. The workers also lacked fall protection and had not been provided required fall hazard training.