Sun Prairie contractor fined $140K by OSHA for fall hazards

A Sun Prairie contractor is facing more than $140,000 in fines for workplace safety violations after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found it failed to protect workers from fall risks during a February inspection.

OSHA announced fines against GL Construction of Madison LLC Thursday, saying the agency’s compliance officers witnessed six employees working at a residential construction site in Verona up to 12 feet off the ground without required safety equipment.

OSHA proposed penalties of $144,505 for one willful violation, two repeat violations and five serious violations.

GL Construction did not immediately respond to an email or phone call seeking comment. 

According to OSHA, the company has a history of federal safety violations, including the death of a worker in 2022. Federal officials also said the company was found to have violated safety regulations during inspections in each of the last four years.

Last October, the agency found that GL Construction employees were exposed to fall hazards and other risks at a worksite in Sun Prairie. At that time, OSHA says the company was cited for one repeat and two serious violations. 

OSHA had previously investigated an April 2022 fatality where a GL Construction employee was hit by a 1,000-pound wall that fell over as the work crew used a crane to lift the structure in high winds, according to the agency.

OSHA said GL Construction has failed to pay penalties or comply with the terms of a settlement between the agency and the company.

In a statement, OSHA Area Director Chad Greenwood in Madison said GL Construction continues to expose employees to potentially fatal injuries while showing a “blatant and callous disregard” for their safety.

“This company must bring its workplace safety program in compliance with federal regulations immediately, as it agreed to do after an employee passed away in April 2022,” Greenwood said. “Employers have no excuse for ignoring their legal and moral responsibilities and putting profit before people.”