Medford, OR. — The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division has fined a Medford construction company more than $128,000 after inspectors found workers were exposed to multiple serious hazards, including the risk of a fatal fall.
Oregon OSHA completed its inspection of Shrader Homes Inc. in November following a review of a residential framing site in White City. The agency issued five citations—several of them repeat violations—for failures to follow state safety requirements designed to prevent serious injury or death.
The most severe citation involved the company’s fourth repeat violation for not providing fall protection where employees were working six feet or more above the ground. OSHA classified the violation as “death,” noting that a fall from that height would likely be fatal. The associated penalty was $110,309.
Inspectors also cited the company for a second repeat violation involving a ladder that did not extend at least three feet above the upper landing. Other violations included a broken ladder that should have been removed from service, the absence of eye protection during pneumatic nail-gun use, and inadequate protection at a wall opening on the second floor.
Penalties for the remaining four serious violations were $1,412 each, except for the ladder extension violation, which carried a $13,800 penalty. The total fine amount reflects a standard reduction based on company size.
“Any employer that directs workers to do jobs at elevations must take action beforehand to make sure protective systems are in place,” Oregon OSHA Administrator Renée Stapleton said. “Workers have a right to safety and health under the law.”
The inspection was part of Oregon OSHA’s statewide emphasis program on fall hazards, one of the leading causes of death in construction. Employers have 30 days to appeal citations, and Shrader Homes has filed an appeal.
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