The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues to carry out inspections and issue citations to employers that expose workers to hazardous conditions. We’ve summarized some of the key enforcement cases from the past few months for a look at where OSHA is focusing its efforts.
Solar contractor faces $288K in fines
A solar panel and battery storage company outside of Chicago has been cited with two repeat safety violations after exposing workers to fall hazards, the leading cause of death and serious injury for construction personnel. In 2022 and 2023, the contractor received citations for a lack of fall protection in Massachusetts and New Jersey, respectively. Between June 2024 and August 2024, OSHA inspectors observed employees at two different worksites installing solar panels without required fall protection.
Penalty: $288,087
Technology company reaches settlement to correct multiple safety failures
Beginning in 2022, OSHA conducted its first multisite investigation in over a decade at the facilities of a nationwide technology company, finding ergonomic hazards in 10 separate buildings. The company and OSHA agreed to a corporatewide settlement in December 2024 to better protect employees and reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Among other conditions, including a financial penalty, the terms of the agreement require the company to:
- Ensure ergonomics requirements are implemented at all facilities through corporate-level action.
- Meet twice a year with OSHA to discuss indicator data and engineering controls.
- Conduct ergonomic risk assessments, and have designated site ergonomics leads.
- Maintain a variety of communication methods for reporting MSDs.
- Allow OSHA to conduct monitoring inspections.
Penalty: $145,000
Trenching violations lead to six-figure penalty
An underground utility construction company has again failed to protect workers during trenching operations, leading to citations and penalties. The contractor from Texas did not provide an adequate protective system or basic safety measures, such as a means of escape, for employees working on water and sewer lines. OSHA inspectors cited the company for similar trenching safety violations in 2022 when a worker suffered fatal injuries during a cave-in.
Penalty: $107,228
Failure to consider warnings and safety plan results in fines for general contractor
OSHA issued five willful violations and proposed penalties to a Maine-based site preparation company for ignoring repeated warnings and its own safety plan. In June 2024, an employee suffered fatal injuries in a trench collapse after an excavator was used next to the base of a retaining wall. The worker was installing drainage pipes in a trench when the retaining wall fell over, crushing the worker. Specifically, inspectors cited the company for:
- Exposing employees to struck-by and caught-between hazards
- Not bracing the retaining wall
- Failing to remove employees from the trench after determining it was hazardous
- Not training or otherwise instructing employees about trench operation hazards
OSHA seeks to reduce similar hazards through its National Emphasis Program in Trenching and Excavation.
Penalty: $161,325
Contractor must pay $266K penalty
OSHA issued one willful violation, one repeat violation, and one serious violation after finding construction employees atop an Illinois residential structure without fall protection. The contractor was cited for allowing work without protection at heights greater than 6 feet, as well as the unsafe use of ladders—the second time in 6 months employees have been exposed to fall hazards. Similar violations by the contractor occurred in 2022, 2023, and 2024 and resulted in unpaid penalties.
Penalty: $266,175
Soap manufacturer cited for 12+ safety and health hazards
A hazardous chemical release at a Pennsylvania soap and detergent manufacturer resulted in the hospitalization of two employees and more than $150,000 in fines. In July 2024, workers were processing chemicals when nitrogen dioxide gas was released, sending 12 employees to the hospital for evaluation. OSHA inspectors cited the company for one repeat violation, nine serious violations, and two other-than-serious violations, which include:
- Not performing an impact assessment after the chemical release
- Exposing workers to gas levels exceeding the chemical’s ceiling limit
- Not evacuating the building immediately after the release
- Lacking an emergency response plan
- Failing to meet federal requirements for respiratory protection and hazard communication
Four other violations of hazardous chemical standards by the company have been recorded since 2022.
Penalty: $161,310