New York Construction Firm Pleads Guilty to Safety Violation Causing Death of Employee

Northridge Construction Corp. pleaded guilty to criminal charges last week in federal court in Central Islip, New York, according to federal officials.

The three-count information alleges that, in 2018, during the construction of a shed on Northridge’s headquarters property in East Patchogue, New York, one of its employees fell from an improperly secured roof and died. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the employee’s death.

OSHA inspectors determined that the company failed to provide fall protection and protective helmets, did not ensure the structural integrity of the roof, and misused a ladder.

Northridge contested the citations and $224,520 in penalties issued by OSHA in 2018.

Among other worker safety standards, OSHA regulations require always maintaining the stability of a metal structure during construction. Northridge pleaded guilty to violating this worker safety standard which caused the death of one of its employees and to making two false statements that obstructed the federal agency’s inquiry into the employee’s death.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 3. The maximum penalty for each of the criminal offenses is five years’ probation and a $500,000 fine, or twice the economic gain to the defendant or loss suffered by the victim because of the crime.

Source: OSHA