Federal inspectors have cited a Crystal Lake company with $287,000 in fines for allegedly repeatedly exposing workers to potentially deadly falls at worksites.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said Wednesday they have cited 595 Construction LLC.
The company is based in Crystal Lake and faces eight safety violations.
OSHA said inspectors found the company’s employees framing a residential structure without required protections three times at residential worksites in the same neighborhood in May 2024.
Falls from elevation are the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries in the construction industry and are among the safety violations most cited by OSHA.
OSHA inspectors first observed 595 Construction employees at work without legally required equipment on a residential structure in an Elburn neighborhood.
They witnessed similar violations on May 10 at another home and at another home across the street.
OSHA said they again found employees exposed to fall hazards at a nearby worksite on May 31.
The agency cited the company for allowing employees to work without protection at heights greater than six feet and for failing to certify they trained workers to recognize hazards or prevent falls.
Inspectors also said they found 595 Construction permitted the unsafe use of ladders, did not ensure workers had the certification needed to operate powered industrial vehicles and used damaged slings to hoist materials.
595 Construction received one willful violation, four repeat and three serious violations for which the company faces $287,465 in proposed penalties.
The eight violations are the latest infractions for the company, which was cited for similar safety violations in 2022 and 2023.
“After OSHA opens an investigation at one worksite, we often find the same contractor has done nothing to correct similar hazards at its other sites and not bothered to make certain to train work crews on complying with federal safety protections,” said OSHA Area Director Jacob Scott.
“For several years, 595 Construction has shown a chronic disregard for safe work operations and a willingness to put its employees lives and well-being at risk,” Scott said.
In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1,069 construction workers died on the job. 395 of those deaths resulted from falls from elevation.
“Falls are the leading cause of injuries and deaths for construction workers. There is no excuse for 595 Construction failing to take immediate corrective action,” Scott said.