REPORT FROM THE HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – The Hawai‘i State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR) announced today that the Hawai‘i Occupational Safety and Health Division (HIOSH) has settled the case of the October 3, 2011 fatality that claimed the life of a thirty-eight year old construction worker.
The investigation found that the foreman and employees failed to install and use fall protection systems while walking and working on a roof of a two story house twenty-one feet above the ground. Landmark Pacific Builders Inc. violated five safety and health requirements and agreed to pay citations totaling $37,825.
“One of the most common citations issued by HIOSH involves fall protection,” stated Acting HIOSH Administrator Doreen Miyaki. “Unfortunately, failing to provide fall protection systems and training is consistently the leading cause of preventable workplace fatalities in Hawai‘i.”
“While our thoughts remain with the family, we urge all employers who have employees working 6 feet or higher to provide fall prevention training and systems,” said DLIR Director Dwight Takamine.
Landmark Pacific Builders Inc. was cited for the following violations:
- Failure to ensure that supervisors understood their responsibility to ensure the safety and health of workers under their supervision;
- Failure to provide adequate fall protection training to their employees to recognize, understand, and address fall hazards that they may encounter at various project sites;
- Failure to complete written certification records for employees in regards to fall protection training;
- Failure to install and use fall protection systems when the foreman and employees were exposed to fall hazards of 6 feet or move above lower levels; and
- Failure to orally report the employee’s death from a work related accident to the HIOSH office within eight hours.
For more information about fall protection, accident statistics, and general occupational safety and health resources, visit HIOSH at https://hawaii.gov/labor/hiosh.