A Riverside electric company was cited by California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) for serious and willful safety violations after a worker installing solar panels fell 30 feet through a skylight. Was this employer unaware of the law or just terribly irresponsible? Get details here.
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The company was cited for serious and willful violations. According to Cal/OSHA, the employer failed to provide employees with required fall protection even though the company charged the building owner for the protective gear. As a result, the 29-year-old employee suffered severe head trauma, cognitive impairment, multiple pelvis fractures, and a collapsed lung. Proposed penalties total more than $130,000.
Cal/OSHA inspectors found that despite the presence of more than 140 skylights in the roof of the building, unguarded roof edges, and other hazards, there was no evidence of fall protection at the site. Cal/OSHA chief Juliann Sum reminds employers that falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. “It is critical for employers to prevent workers—especially those working from great heights—from being injured or killed from falls. This employer was aware of their responsibility, and completely failed to fulfill it.”
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