OSHA Fines Kabco Builders $81K for Failure to Provide Fall Protection

A Boaz mobile home manufacturer could have prevented a 62-year-old roofing laborer's fatal fall had the employer followed required fall protection standards, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found.

The department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined that the Kabco Builders Inc. employee was alone loading shingles as they straddled a two-foot-wide space between a platform and a mobile home's roof when they slipped and fell approximately 10 feet.  

OSHA cited Kabco Builders with 10 serious violations for hazards, including not providing fall protection, failure to train workers performing roof work at heights of 4 feet or more, not providing training to workers who operate forklifts, and not requiring workers applying adhesives to wear personal protective equipment nor training them on the hazards related to the chemicals in use. The agency proposed $81,463 in penalties.

"As falls from heights continue to be the leading cause of fatalities and serious injuries in all industries, employers like Kabco Builders must know and understand the importance of fall protection standards and related training," said OSHA Area Office Director Joel Batiz in Birmingham, Alabama. "Following these well-established safety requirements can mean the difference between an employer seeing its worker ending a shift safely or having to watch as a worker's family, friends and co-workers grieve a needless tragedy."

Founded in 2003, Kabco Builders Inc. provides design, engineering and production services in the manufacturing housing industry.

Kabco Builders Inc. provided abatement and paid the penalty.

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 for free help on complying with OSHA standards.