An Orange Park, Fla., landscape and property cleanup contractor's failure to follow occupational safety guidelines resulted in the death of a worker last December, the Department of Labor reported recently.
SB Outdoor Services LLC, doing business as SBA Lawncare, was issued multiple citations after an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) into a fatal accident at a job site in Middleburg, Fla., on Dec. 13 that killed a 43-year-old worker, the DOL reported on June 30.
The worker was demolishing a 400-square-foot storage shed when the walls collapsed outward, "causing the roof structure to fall onto the worker," who "ultimately suffocated under the roof's weight," according to the report.
SB Outdoor Services, along with Aquaglobal Corp., a Jacksonville, Fla., subcontractor in the demolition, was cited for "failing to have a qualified engineer perform a surey to evaluate the storage shed's stability before the tear-down began," the report states. SB Outdoor Services received multiple additional citations, including for not reporting a work-related death of an employee within eight hours, as required by law.
Additional charges by OSHA against SB Outdoor Services include failing to train workers performing landscaping renovations and construction demolition on recognizing and avoiding unsafe conditions; provide workers performing construction demolition with head protection; brace and shore walls prior to demolition; and start demolition operations at the top of the structure and proceed downward before the removal of exterior walls, the DOL reports.
“A family is grieving the loss of a loved one because SB Outdoor Services failed to follow established safety procedures for performing demolition activities,” OSHA Acting Area Office Director Erin Sanchez said in the report.
“As this case shows," Sanchez said, "skipping procedures – such as performing engineering surveys before demolition starts – can have tragic consequences."
OSHA has also recommended SB Outdoor Services be fined $46,021, and Aquaglobal Corp. be fined $5,801, according to the report. Companies have 15 business days after receiving citations and penalties to either comply, request an informal conference, or contest the findings, according to the DOL.
“Employers are legally responsible for ensuring their employees have a safe and healthful workplace," Sanchez said in the report. "OSHA offers compliance assistance to help employers protect the safety and health of their workers.”
