A federal workplace safety investigation found that Mad Dog Construction and two subcontractors could have prevented the fatal fall of a 31-year-old laborer at a construction site.
The worker was installing roof trusses Aug. 17 at Independence Landing on School House Road before falling 12 feet to the ground, the U.S. Department of Labor said in a Thursday news release. The worker, whose name was not released, died later that day at a local hospital.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations against Mad Dog, Big Hammer Inc. of Monticello, which employed the person who died, and Forgotten Coast Crane Services Inc. of Crawfordville. Mad Dog and Forgotten Coast each received a serious violation and are facing fines of $6,250 and $8,037. Big Hammer received more than one serious violation and is facing a $25,001 fine.
“A worker’s life was needlessly lost because the employers did not follow required construction safety procedures,” said OSHA Acting Area Office Director Scott Tisdale. “Employers must never overlook fundamental industry safety procedures, such as safety communication and fall protection systems.”
All three companies have the option of complying with the penalties, requesting an informal conference with OSHA or contesting the findings, the Labor Department said.
Tom Derzypolski, spokesperson for Mad Dog Construction, said the company is still working with officials to understand the incident and OSHA’s findings.
“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are and have been with the individual and the family involved in the incident last year,” he said.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com and follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.
