Repeat Fall Protection Violations Lead to Penalty

March 21, 2000
R&C Corp. has been cited by OSHA for 173 violations since 1993, including 29 concerning fall protection.

OSHA has issued citations and a proposed fine of $101,000 against a Guam construction firm for numerous willful violations of federal safety and health standards despite previous OSHA citations for the same fall hazards.

OSHA delivered citations to R&C Corp. following a November OSHA inspection at the Pacific Islands Club, Phase 3 Expansion Project. R&C employees, working as high as 16 feet above the ground, were not protected from falls. R&C employs approximately 126 employees on major construction projects worldwide. The $38-million dollar Pacific Islands Club addition entails working on a 26-story hotel tower.

R&C received citations for two willful violations and one serious violation. The willful violations are for instances where the company failed to provide fall protection from scaffold platforms and the building structure. In one case, workers applying plaster to the building structure worked along an unprotected scaffold platform 13 feet above the ground. In another, an employee, 16 feet above ground level, who assisted in lifting a sanding machine up the structure was also without equipment to prevent a fall. The willful violations include penalties of $45,000 each.

The serious violation is for failure to guard exposed reinforcing steel bars to prevent injuries to employees who could fall onto them. The penalty is $2,000.

R&C has received several previous citations for failure to provide adequate fall protection from scaffolds and building structures. Since 1983, OSHA has cited the company for 173 violations, including 17 citations for failure to provide fall protection from scaffolds and 12 citations for failure to provide fall protection from structures. Of the 29 fall protection citations, there were 11 serious violations, 16 repeat violations and 2 willful violations.

"These types of cases are particularly frustrating because the employer largely ignored previous OSHA efforts to encourage the correction of obviously hazardous conditions," said Leonard Limtiaco, director of the OSHA team that conducted the inspection. "By so doing, the employer knowingly put his employees at risk of death or serious injury."

Sponsored Recommendations

June 23, 2025
Learn about lone working laws in the US, key hazards and risks, and get actionable advice on how to keep your lone workers safe.
June 23, 2025
Chemical substitution can quickly get messy, with unclear steps and the risk of swapping one hazard for another. This checklist helps you avoid costly mistakes, prioritize which...
June 23, 2025
A mature approach to health and safety means making safety a core part of your culture, where everyone plays a role and performance is measured by more than just numbers. In this...
June 23, 2025
Behavior-based safety focuses on observing and encouraging safe behaviors to reduce workplace risks. Experts explain how strong safety culture, clear methods, and digital tools...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!