Federal inspectors have cited and proposed $266,000 in fines to a Zion contractor for allegedly exposing employees to the risk of falls, a repeat occurrence at the company.
Inspectors from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) observed employees of Miguel A. Esquina Reyes, doing business as Corner Construction Corp. – Worked on the roof of a building in Glencoe in August without legally required fall protection equipment.
At that time, the employees were busy roofing a residential building.
Corner Construction has a “long history” of endangering workers by exposing them to fall hazards, according to OSHA.
It is the second such incident in six months and the fifth in two years.
Falls from heights are the leading cause of death and serious injury among construction workers and are among the most frequently cited safety violations by OSHA.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 1,069 construction workers died on the job in 2022, with 395 of those deaths resulting from falls.
OSHA cited Corner Construction for allowing employees to work unprotected at heights greater than 6 feet and using ladders unsafely
Corner Construction received three violations – one willful, one repeat and one serious – for which the company faces a $266,175 fine.
In February, OSHA fined the company $19,015 after citing a repeat violation for allegedly failing to provide fall protection at a construction site in Downers Grove.
The 2024 violations continue a series of similar citations issued after three inspections in 2022 and 2023, OSHA said. Corner Construction is currently liable for $82,000 in unpaid OSHA fines.
“OSHA often finds that contractors repeatedly violate the same safety regulations because they believe their workers will not fall victim to injuries. It only takes a few seconds to lose your footing, fall from a roof and suffer serious and all too often fatal injuries,” said Sukhvir Kaur, OSHA Chicago North Region Director.
“Miguel Reyes continues to demonstrate a chronic disregard for safe work practices and is willing to put the lives and well-being of his employees at risk,” Kaur said.