OSHA Fines Framer $18K for Inadequate Truss Bracing

An Orlando framing contractor's failure to comply with building code requirements and a roof truss manufacturer's engineering specification caused the roof trusses to collapse and fatally injure a 67-year-old worker at an Orange City building site on Nov. 8, 2021.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Top Rank Construction for failing to follow required safety standards and ensure the roof trusses were braced to resist buckling, leaning or collapsing. The employer also allowed workers to anchor their personal fall arrest systems to individual trusses, and exposed other workers to fall hazards by failing to ensure the use of a fall protection system. The agency proposed $18,853 in penalties.

"The risks associated with installing roof trusses are well known in the construction industry, and yet Top Rank Construction failed to follow established requirements to ensure the work was done safely," explained OSHA Acting Area Office Director Heather Sanders in Jacksonville, Florida. "Installing trusses safely requires that employers conduct a hazard assessment and address the hazards to properly protect workers."

OSHA also cited the worksite's general contractor – Fulcrum Construction Group LLC – with a serious violation for failing to protect workers from fall hazards. The agency assessed the Daphne, Alabama, company $10,151 in proposed penalties.

The companies have 15 business days from receipt of their citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Visit OSHA's website for information on developing a workplace safety and health program. Employers can also contact the agency for information about OSHA's compliance assistance resources and free help on complying with OSHA standards.