Home Builder Fined $55,000 for Worker’s Fall Through Floor Opening

At a home construction project, a worker hired by a subcontractor was installing sheeting on the ground-level floor joists. An opening in the sheeting was needed to accommodate a staircase to be installed. The worker fell off the edge of the sheeting into the opening and landed in the basement, a fall of about nine feet. He suffered injuries. Neither he nor the other worker involved in the sheeting work was wearing fall protection and they were also not protected by guardrails while performing the work. The home builder pleaded guilty to failing to protect a worker with a guardrail system or a method of fall protection and was fined $55,000 [Multi-Area Developments Inc., Govt. News Release, June 8, 2016].