(ELGIN) A home construction company is facing fines of nearly $175,000 for safety violations for exposing workers to dangerous fall hazards at construction sites throughout the suburbs, according to federal regulators.
Bosco Custom Homes Inc. was cited for three willful, 20 serious, and seven repeat safety violations, according to a statement from OSHA. Proposed penalties total $174,240.
The company failed to provide fall protection to workers on three separate home framing projects, according to the statement.
An inspector saw eight employees working on framing a ranch home under construction on April 30 in Elgin without any fall protection, such as a guardrail system, safety nets or personal fall arrest systems.
On June 10, employees were seen working without fall protection at a home in Wheaton and were exposed to falls of 19 feet. On June 19, workers were exposed to falls of 12 feet at a residential home under construction in Elgin.
The company was cited for similar violations in 2013, according to the statement, and has not yet paid any of the $17,200 in penalties.
“Bosco Custom Homes has failed to fix safety hazards related to falls,” Jake Scott, OSHA’s area director, said in the statement.
“This shows an inexcusable and deliberate lack of care for the safety and health of the company’s employees,” Scott said.
He said falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry.