The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has conducted an investigation that reveals a Georgia-based construction contractor breached safety regulations, leading to the death of a 31-year-old steel erector. The company in question had previously been cited by OSHA for identical workplace safety violations that resulted in the employee's death 10 months prior.
According to a DOL news release, the fatal incident took place at Landmark Erecting Inc.'s Arcadia worksite in Hahira. An employee tragically lost his life after sustaining severe fall injuries while installing metal roofing sheets on a building in November 2023. The victim was part of a three-person crew employed by Landmark Erecting Inc., and he fell 12 feet onto a concrete slab below, resulting in traumatic head injuries. Landmark Erecting Inc. is known for its specialization in constructing prefabricated metal buildings.
"Landmark Erecting's repeated failure to adhere to required safeguards to protect employees from falls, especially after we cited the company less than a year earlier for exposing workers to this potentially deadly hazard, is inexcusable," said OSHA Area Director Danelle Jindra based in Tampa, Florida. "All employers – including those within the construction industry – are legally obligated to provide workers with a safe and healthy work environment."
OSHA proposes penalties amounting to $46,550 to address these violations. This figure, determined by federal statute, includes repeat violation charges against Landmark Erecting for once again failing to ensure worker safety with regards to fall protection as they navigated along a roof frame, according to the news release. In January 2023, the company was cited for a similar violation at another workplace located in Tallahassee.
In addition, the company received citations for not ensuring accessible medical treatment was available for the injured employee and failing to report a work-related fatality within the legally required eight-hour window, as stated in the news release. In 2022, Florida witnessed the loss of 307 workers across all sectors due to workplace injuries. Fall-related accidents accounted for 78 deaths, a significant increase from the 69 fatalities recorded in 2021.
