The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has

cited DMAC Construction, LLC for eight safety and health violations, comprised of one willful

and seven repeat violations. They come in response to inspections of two worksite in

Philadelphia, PA in November of 2014. These inspection was initiated in response to two

separate imminent danger notifications. These violations are for hazards relating to scaffold

procedures, fall protection, and hazard communication. These violations carry proposed penalties

of $470,300 and have landed the company in OSHA’s Sever Violator Enforcement Program,

which means they will be subject to additional inspections, follow ups, and, should any

additional issues be found, larger fines.

“These hazards are not new to DMAC Construction, yet the company refuses to make needed

changes to put worker safety first,” said Nicholas DeJesse, director of OSHA’s Philadelphia Area

Office. “This employer must take immediate action to prevent an unnecessary tragedy.”

If you own a company in the construction industry, it is important to have effective policies in

place relating to scaffolding and fall protections. These are among the leading causes of injuries

and fatalities at construction work sites and are easily preventable with proper procedures. As

such, these are commonly cited violations during an inspection and carry hefty fines. If you are

unsure of the efficacy of your procedures, or if you need to create new procedures, please

consider contacting a qualified third party occupational safety and health auditing firm; this will

help you to ensure you have appropriate policies in place and could help you to save a life or

save yourself from a fine.

If you have any questions about the findings of this inspection or about establishing scaffold and

fall protection policies, please contact us. If you have anything else to add about fall hazards and

scaffolding procedures, please leave a comment.