Elmer Miller, an Illinois construction contractor operating as Miller Building Systems LLC, faces $354,912 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines after the agency again found workers were exposed to falls from elevation at four jobsites. The agency cited Miller with four willful fall protection violations, OSHA announced July 12.

Agency investigators observed violations on the following dates at the following locations:

• January 11—Cole Lane in the Hunters Ridge subdivision by Unlimited Homes in Mahomet       
• January 26—Airport Road at The Cottages at Lake Falls by Signature Homes in Savoy 
• March 13—Sutton Street in the Prairie Meadow subdivision by Signature Homes in Savoy
• May 2—Morningside Lane in the Whisper Meadow subdivision by Unlimited Homes in Mahomet

Investigators reported observing workers climbing, standing, and walking about the trusses and top plates on residential homes, sometimes at heights greater than 18 feet above ground level, without adequate fall protection. The agency alleged when workers did put on fall protection, they weren’t directed to properly tie it off or secure the body harness, rendering the equipment ineffective.

A personal fall protection system consists of a harness and line secured to an anchor point.

OSHA reported citing the employer for fall-related violations 17 times since 2019, including 7 times in 2023.

“By law, workers must use fall protection whenever they work at heights six feet or greater. For that fall protection to be effective, it must be worn correctly, secured, and tied off,” Edward Marshall, OSHA’s Peoria, Illinois, area office director, said in an agency statement.

“The U.S. Department of Labor will continue to hold Elmer Miller and other construction contractors accountable for complying with federal regulations that protect people on the job from the most dangerous hazard in the construction industry,” he added.

Texas steel plant cited after follow-up inspections

An Osaka, Japan, steel company operating in the El Paso, Texas, area as Vinton Steel LLC faces $269,631 in new OSHA fines after a follow-up inspection of its Vinton, Texas, steel fabrication and recycling facility, the agency announced July 11. OSHA cited the employer with five repeat and two serious violations.

In 2022, OSHA cited 19 serious violations and assessed proposed penalties totaling $364,078. The agency placed Vinton Steel in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP).

In their follow-up inspection, investigators reported finding that the company again exposed employees to hazards through the following safety lapses:

• Failing to keep workers clear of loads lifted by slings and not keeping slings in good working order
• Not properly guarding machinery and exposing workers to moving parts
• Failing to keep fire extinguishers maintained, fully charged, and in good operating condition
• Not conducting fit testing of workplace respirators to protect employees
• Not completing medical evaluations to determine employees’ ability to use a respirator

“Vinton Steel continues to show a callous disregard for the safety of its employees by exposing them to potentially deadly hazards,” Diego Alvarado Jr., OSHA’s El Paso, Texas, area office director, said in a statement. “The company must immediately stop endangering its workers and correct its safety failures before someone gets seriously injured or worse.”

Kyoei Steel LTD, based in Osaka, operates Vinton Steel LLC in Texas with about 400 employees, according to OSHA.