Josh Kulla//October 8, 2019//
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined a Clackamas County contractor $121,200 for alleged safety violations.
Colima Construction, a commercial Level 2 general contractor based in unincorporated Oak Grove, was charged with repeated failure to implement fall protection protocols for its employees at a Eugene jobsite where it is performing roofing and framing for a new housing development. Two separate inspections led to the enforcement action, according to an Oregon OSHA press release.
At both jobsites, inspectors found employees exposed to falls greater than nine feet with no fall protection systems in place, Oregon OSHA stated.
This instance was the third since 2018 that the company was sanctioned for breaking the same fall-protection rule. Under state law, monetary penalties multiply with repeat violations. As a result, the two latest violations carry fines of $60,000 for each fall-protection offense, for a total of $120,000.
In addition, inspectors found that workers were also allegedly exposed to fall hazards by being allowed to use the tops of 6-foot and 8-foot stepladders inside residential structures under construction. This repeat violation carried a $600 penalty.
Finally, the contractor was also cited for allowing employees to work without proper eye protection. This repeat violation also carried a $600 fine.
Calls made to Colima Construction were not immediately returned.