A solar panel and battery contractor has been fined for neglecting the proper regulations and safety requirements for roofing workers.
Sunrun Installation Services Inc. of Des Plaines has run afoul of federal labor regulators with two repeat safety violations after federal investigators found the company exposed workers to deadly fall hazards twice within three months.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated and found that on-site employees worked without required fall protection while installing solar panels at two residential homes in the Chicago suburbs.
As Due has reported, the Department of Labor has been charging more and more roofing contractors across the year as falls from elevations are the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries in the construction industry.
OSHA Chicago North Area Director Sukhvir Kaur said, “It is unacceptable that Sunrun Installation Services Inc. allowed workers to be exposed to falls at two separate locations within weeks. Sunrun must take immediate action to ensure no employee works at heights above six feet without using required fall protection.”
Solar panel company fined for fall risks
Headquartered in San Francisco, Sunrun Installation Services Inc. is a medium-sized business that works nationally on federal government contracts. According to OSHA, these contracts mainly involve “agriculture and cold storage and retail and distribution sectors. ”
According to the report, the OSHA investigations occurred in Chicago at Oak Park on June 18, 2024, and another in Skokie on August 8, 2024. Based on the findings, Sunrun Installation Services Inc. will pay $288,087 in safety penalties.
“The employer does not protect each employee from fall hazards while engaged in solar panel installation and associated work six (6) feet or more above lower levels by the use of guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system,” said the note.
Director Kaur concluded, ““Falls from elevation can cause life-altering and deadly injuries, all of which can be prevented through proper protective equipment and worker training. Employers who ignore their obligations are putting their workers’ lives and well-being in serious risk.”
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