An Ocala, Fla., framing contractor was found to be in violation of safety standards which was putting its employees at risk.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration performed 11 inspections of Domingos 54 Construction Inc.'s worksites since 2019, according to a March 28 news release. 

“In 2020, Domingos 54 Construction’s failures led to a tragedy that cost a worker his life. Yet here we are in 2023, and they continue to put profits before the safety and well-being of the people they employ,” OSHA Area Officer Director of Tampa Danielle Jindra said in the release.

In March 2020, an employee fell 10 feet from the roof of a residence he was working on. The lack of fall protection cost the man his life, according to the news release.

The OSHA investigations identified four willful, eight repeat, 19 serious and four other violations. Many of them are reportedly related to a lack of fall protection for the workers, including a lack of fall protection for workers, the release reported.

In September 2022, OSHA inspectors observed Domingos 54 employees without fall safety gear while working on a 15-foot-high residential roof in Tampa, the release said. The company also had not provided adequate training to employees about fall hazard control methods, and some employees were not using required eye protection when using pneumatic nail guns, hammers and portal circular saws.

OSHA cited the company for three willful violations and one repeat violation, with proposed penalties totaling $464,079, according to the release. 

Employers can visit OSHA's website for information on developing a workplace safety and health program and contact the agency for help in complying with OSHA standards, the release said. The company has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.