On Tuesday, September 19, 2017, Acting United States Attorney Tom Larson announced that a Pacific, Missouri company had been sentenced for violating a OSHA regulation and causing the death of a Raymore ironworker. DNRB Inc. has been ordered to pay a $500,000 penalty for the offense. The court has ordered the company to pay quarterly installments of $25,000 over the next five years.
The company was found guilty after the bench trial concluded on August 17, 2016. A court order clarifying the finding of fact and conclusions of law was issued on January 20, 2017. In July of 2014, DNRB was doing business as Fastrack Erectors. The company worked as a subcontractor for the construction of a warehouse in Kansas City, Missouri. Fastrack was responsible for supplying on-site supervisors, while the project’s ironworkers were hired from a local union.
On July 24, 2014 two Fastrack ironworker employees were receiving a bundle of roof sheet metal and placing it atop the building’s bar joists. The employees were responsible for guiding the bundle to land it. The bundle measured in at 26 feet long by 36 inches wide. The employees accessed the building’s top utilizing a scissor lift and traveling across a 15-foot joist. They did this without wearing any fall protection whatsoever.
Other workers secured the decking onto the trusses utilizing screws and welds. These workers did not utilize fall protection either. One employee, a 22-year-old Eric Roach, fell roughly 30 feet and was transported to a local hospital. He passed away the following day. According to court documents, Fastrack was a subcontractor for ARCO National Construction-KC Inc. The contract required all Fastrack personnel to have adequate fall protection when working at heights in excess of 6 feet.
The company did not properly enforce the use of fall protection and no fall protection equipment was provided by the company. Two foremen on the site were aware of the lack of fall protection equipment and they were in a situation to personally witness employees failing to utilize the proper fall protection equipment. One foreman was in the immediate area of the employees and failed to wear protection himself.
On January 15, 2016, DNRB voluntarily dissolved as a Missouri corporation. Again, DNRB Inc. has been ordered to pay a fine of $500,000.