GEISMAR, La. (BRPROUD) — A Louisiana contractor is being placed in a severe violation enforcement program by the U.S. Department of Labor after a 34-year-old worker died from a fall at a work site in Georgia.
According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor, Eastern Constructors Inc., a Geismar-based company, is set to join a severe violation enforcement program after failing to obey fall protection requirements at the Hyundai car plant in Ellabell, Georgia as the employee fell 60 feet.
An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration back in April discovered that workers of Eastern Constructors Inc. were leading an I-beam on top of the plant’s paint building when the incident occurred, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor.
“The risks of serious and fatal injuries for people working at these heights are well-known and no step should ever be overlooked during the process of inspecting the worksite for hazards,” said Jessica Bookman, OSHA Acting Area Office Director. “Eastern Constructor’s failure to protect its employees from the leading cause of death in the construction industry are inexcusable and resulted in tragic consequences.”
Eastern Constructors was ordered to pay a penalty fee of $160,724, according to the Department of Labor.
This hasn’t been the only incident at Eastern Contractors Inc. as four other worker fatalities have been reported, according to the department.
The Louisiana contracting company has 15 business days from the acknowledgment of the citations and penalties to comply, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor.
