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- May 2025
May 2025
OSHA Insider
Essential Updates
May 2025 Edition
Repeat Offenses, Tragic Falls, and Ongoing Safety Failures: A Wake-Up Call for Workplace Safety
Hello Safety Advocates,
In this edition, we focus on three cases that underscore the devastating consequences of ignoring known safety hazards. From repeated fall protection failures to fatal oversight at a metal recycling facility, these stories serve as powerful reminders of what’s at stake when employers fail to prioritize worker safety.
Pennsylvania Roofing Contractor Cited Again for Repeated Fall Hazards – A Wilkes-Barre contractor is facing steep penalties and has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program after once again exposing workers to dangerous fall risks on the job.
Fall-Related Fatality in Massachusetts Prompts OSHA Fines for Contractor – A construction worker’s death in Edgartown, Massachusetts, could have been prevented with proper ladder safety training. OSHA has responded with fines and a renewed call for basic fall protection compliance.
Three Deaths in Eight Years: Metal Recycling Company’s Safety Failures Raise Alarm – In California, a metal recycling facility continues operations despite a history of fatal incidents and dozens of violations, highlighting serious gaps in enforcement and accountability.
Each of these stories carries a crucial lesson: safety isn’t optional—it’s a responsibility. Let’s use them as an opportunity to reflect, act, and improve.
Stay safe and vigilant,
Dale
A roofing contractor based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, is once again facing serious consequences after federal inspectors found workers exposed to dangerous fall and safety hazards at a jobsite in Lackawanna County. This latest inspection highlights ongoing disregard for essential workplace safety practices in the roofing industry.
Inspection and Violations
In September 2024, OSHA responded to an imminent danger complaint and launched an inspection at the worksite. Investigators found multiple safety failures, including a lack of fall protection and failure to ensure workers were using personal protective equipment—both classified as willful violations. Additional serious violations included improperly labeled flammable containers, unsafe proximity to energized power circuits, and misuse of ladders.
Severe Violator Status and Penalties
Given the contractor’s history of similar violations, OSHA has now added the company to its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, a designation reserved for employers who demonstrate indifference to safety obligations. The agency has proposed penalties totaling $467,000.
A Stark Reminder
This case serves as a strong reminder of the life-threatening risks associated with working at heights without proper protection—and the legal and financial consequences for employers who fail to comply with federal safety standards. For roofing contractors and construction firms alike, investing in safety training, PPE, and routine inspections is not just required—it’s essential to preventing injuries and saving lives.
A tragic incident earlier this year at a construction site in Edgartown, Massachusetts, has led to federal penalties for a Rhode Island-based construction company after a worker fell from height and later died from his injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined the employer nearly $20,000 for failing to provide proper safety training related to ladder use.
Details of the Incident
The fatal fall occurred in February 2025 while the worker was using an eight-foot step ladder during construction at an affordable housing development. The worker fell approximately 28 feet onto a concrete basement floor. Despite being transported to the hospital and later flown to Boston for specialized care, he sadly did not survive.
Findings and Violations
OSHA’s investigation concluded that the employer failed to provide a required training program that would have taught workers how to recognize and avoid fall hazards associated with ladders and stairways. As a result, the company was cited for three violations, with fines totaling $19,860.
A Preventable Tragedy
This heartbreaking case reinforces the critical importance of proper safety training in the construction industry, particularly when working at heights. Employers have a responsibility to ensure that every worker receives the knowledge and resources they need to stay safe on the job.
Let this be a reminder to construction firms and site managers everywhere: compliance with OSHA’s fall protection and training standards isn’t just about avoiding fines—it’s about saving lives.
Three Deaths in Eight Years: Metal Recycling Company’s Safety Failures Raise Alarm
In one of the most troubling workplace safety records seen in recent years, a metal scrap recycling facility in San Leandro, California, has been linked to the deaths of three workers within an eight-year span. Despite a long history of safety violations and serious incidents, the facility continues to operate—highlighting critical limitations in regulatory enforcement.
A Pattern of Preventable Tragedies
The most recent fatality occurred in January 2025, when a mechanic was crushed beneath a forklift that suddenly tipped forward. Disturbing video footage captured the moment the worker was pinned, with coworkers rushing to his aid. This tragedy follows two earlier deaths: one in 2022, when a worker was crushed under 4,000 pounds of bundled wire, and another in 2017, when the frame of a large machine collapsed.
Over 60 Violations and Minimal Accountability
The facility has accumulated more than 60 safety violations over the years—possibly the worst record of any similar operation in California during the past decade. Yet despite numerous citations and fines issued by Cal/OSHA, the company has consistently appealed the penalties and paid significantly reduced amounts. In one case, a $45,000 fine was reduced to just $7,000 after appeal.
A System Under Strain
California’s workplace safety agency, Cal/OSHA, does not have the authority to shut down businesses, even those with repeated, serious violations. Understaffing, budget constraints, and legal mechanisms that allow companies to contest penalties have made it difficult to hold bad actors fully accountable. Former inspectors and workplace safety advocates are sounding the alarm, calling the facility’s ongoing operations—and lack of consequences—“shocking” and “unacceptable.”
Foreseeable and Avoidable
Experts agree that the deaths were not freak accidents but rather the result of foreseeable hazards and systemic safety failures. This case serves as a sobering reminder of how preventable workplace deaths can go unpunished when enforcement powers are limited and safety violations are treated as negotiable.
Let this story be a call to action for stronger safety enforcement, legislative reform, and a renewed focus on protecting the lives of workers—before another tragedy occurs.
About the Author
Dale, your OSHA Expert
Hey Everyone,
As we conclude this edition of our newsletter, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you for joining us on this journey of safety enlightenment. The stories we've shared, from the tragic to the triumphant, remind us of the critical importance of our collective commitment to workplace safety.
These cases serve as a sobering reminder of the real-world consequences when safety protocols are overlooked. It underscores the necessity for each of us to not only advocate for stringent safety measures but to actively implement them in our daily operations.
As your partner in safety, I'm inspired by our shared dedication to creating safer work environments. Let the insights from this edition motivate us to review, refine, and reinforce our safety practices. Remember, the strength of our safety programs lies not just in compliance but in our unwavering commitment to protect every worker who trusts us with their well-being.
Looking ahead, we promise to continue bringing you the most relevant, informative, and actionable safety insights. Your feedback, stories, and engagement fuel our mission, and together, we can forge a future where workplace accidents are a rarity, not an expectation.
Until our next edition, stay safe, stay informed, and never underestimate the impact of your role in safeguarding the health and safety of our workplaces.
Warmest regards,
Dale