The U.S. Department of Labor has fined Sunrun Installation Services Inc., a solar panel and battery storage company based in Des Plaines, Illinois, $288,087 for safety violations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identified two repeat violations related to fall hazards at residential installation sites in Oak Park on June 18, 2024, and Skokie on August 8, 2024.
OSHA's investigation revealed that employees were working without necessary fall protection while installing solar panels. Falls from heights are a leading cause of serious injuries and fatalities in the construction industry. This is not the first time Sunrun has faced such citations; similar violations occurred in Massachusetts in 2022 and New Jersey in 2023.
Sukhvir Kaur, OSHA Chicago North Area Director, emphasized the importance of immediate corrective actions by Sunrun: “It is unacceptable that Sunrun Installation Services Inc. allowed workers to be exposed to falls at two separate locations within weeks. Sunrun must take immediate action to ensure no employee works at heights above six feet without using required fall protection.”
Sunrun Installation Services Inc., founded in 2007 and headquartered in San Francisco, specializes in designing and maintaining solar panel systems for various sectors including small businesses and federal government facilities.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 1,069 construction worker fatalities in 2022 with falls accounting for 395 deaths. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported approximately 20,000 annual worker injuries due to falls between 2013 and 2022.
To address these issues, OSHA provides resources through its stop falls website offering safety information and video presentations aimed at educating workers about fall hazards.
