December 18, 2012

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced last week it would fine a contractor hired to work at a San Antonio, Texas, construction site for repeat safety violations. According to an OSHA press release, the fines involved workers being exposed to risks of electrocution and falls.

OSHA’s San Antonio area director, Kelly C. Knighton, explained the agency began inspecting the contractor, Certifit, Inc., in January and found the company in violation of several safety regulations. Those infractions included defective rolling ladders that placed employees at risk of falling and failure to have someone qualified to perform first aid on site at all times. The company was also fined for failing to properly ground an industrial fan. In all, the company was fined $12,000.

In August, another inspection proved the company had done nothing to improve safety, or to fix the problems found during the initial inspection. Certifit was then issued citations again for exposing workers to the risks of Texas Construction Accidents.

The Austin Personal Injury Lawyers with Daniel Stark Injury Lawyers say employers, by law, have a responsibility to provide workers with a safe and healthy environment in which to do their jobs and failure to do so may be considered negligence in the event of an accident. The firm encourages anyone who has been injured while on the job at no fault of their own to explore their legal options by talking with a qualified attorney.