Construction co. faces OSHA fines stemming from employee death
An Augusta construction company has been fined over $9,000 for violations related to the on-site death of an employee in May.
Kennebec Home Improvements was cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration last week for three "serious" violations, according to the Morning Sentinel.
The company came under scrutiny from OSHA after 54-year-old Bobbie Rodriques of Augusta was killed when a building he was working on collapsed on top of him. Rodriques and another employee were crawling under a jacked-up home on Lovejoy Pond in Readfield to repair the building's foundations when the incident occurred.
The company was fined for three violations totaling $9,240. The fines stem from OSHA guidelines that require builders to provide a solid foundation for building jacks, secure jacked buildings with cribbing or blocking, and to train employees in recognizing and avoiding unsafe conditions.
While each of the three fines carries a maximum charge of $7,000, the penalty was reduced by 60% because of the small nature of the company. However, a 10% increase was added due to a history of OSHA violations on the part of Kennebec Home Improvements, including 10 serious citations stemming from a job site inspection in 2010.
According to the OSHA rating system, "serious" is the second-lowest degree of violation.
The company has until Aug. 31 to appeal the fines in federal court.
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