Irvington Construction Company Exposed Workers To Fall Hazards: OSHA

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Federal workplace safety inspectors are accusing an Irvington contractor of exposing employees to potentially deadly falls by allowing them to do roofing work atop a two-story home in Bergen County without required fall protection in March 2023.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, its inspectors opened an investigation after observing employees of JM Brother Construction LLC working at heights up to 23 feet with no adequate fall protection system in place in Hasbrouck Heights.

In addition to the fall hazards, OSHA determined the company exposed workers to struck-by hazards by allowing them to ride without seat belts in an area of the company’s cargo vans not intended for passengers. The company also failed to protect employees from head impact injuries and allowed employees to use a ladder unsafely, federal officials alleged.

The agency cited the contractor for one willful and three serious violations, and assessed $77,684 in proposed penalties.

“Our investigation found JM Brother Construction jeopardizing the safety of its workers by failing to provide required life-saving fall protection,” OSHA area director Lisa Levy said.

“Falls remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities in the construction industry, making it imperative that employers comply with federal safety laws before a worker suffers potentially debilitating injuries or worse,” Levy added.

• See Related: Construction Worker Falls In Essex County Pose Deadly Risk, OSHA Says

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and 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.

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