Twin Falls Contractor Facing OSHA Fines
BOISE, Idaho (KTVB) – After a worker was seriously injured from a fall at a construction site last November, a Twin Falls-based homebuilder has been cited by OSHA with three serious and one willful violation related to fall hazards.
The U.S. Department of Labor cited TKO Inc., doing business as TKO Custom Homes. The employer faces $27,600 in proposed fines for the violations. The OSHA inspection found that workers for TKO Custom Homes subcontractors were working in construction on the upper floors of an apartment complex in Twin Falls, and they were exposed to fall hazards up to 9 feet 6 inches from the ground while working on stairs and landing throughout the job site.
The company is accused of failing to provide guardrails, or other protections for the workers. OSHA cited them with a willful violation for failing to have mandatory protections in place. The agency claims there was voluntary disregard for the law, and indifference to worker safety and health.
Serious violations occur on a job site when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. TKO Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.