Houston's Sonny Steel Erectors has once again come under the scrutiny of federal workplace safety investigators, revealing an alarming history of neglecting fall protection systems and endangering its workers. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted an extensive investigation and found that the company's employees lacked required fall protection while working on a steel building in Cypress in February 2023.Despite being previously cited for serious and repeat violations dating back over a decade, Sonny Steel Erectors failed to address the hazards associated with fall protection systems. OSHA cited the company for one serious violation for not securing a ladder properly, one willful violation for allowing workers to erect buildings without fall protection above a certain height, and one repeat violation for failing to ensure the safety of employees using an aerial lift.The proposed penalties amount to a staggering $266,416, reflecting the gravity of the company's non-compliance. The agency had previously cited Sonny Steel Erectors for similar violations in February 2019, July 2019, and October 2022.Despite being repeatedly warned and penalized, the company persisted in neglecting the safety of its workers. OSHA's Area Director Mhekeba Hager in Houston expressed deep concern, stating that the company seems unwilling to end its long-standing pattern of endangering its employees.Operating since 1999 in Houston, Sonny Steel Erectors employs approximately 50 workers who specialize in commercial structural steel erection.
Houston's Sonny Steel Erectors has once again come under the scrutiny of federal workplace safety investigators, revealing an alarming history of neglecting fall protection systems and endangering its workers. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted an extensive investigation and found that the company's employees lacked required fall protection while working on a steel building in Cypress in February 2023.Despite being previously cited for serious and repeat violations dating back over a decade, Sonny Steel Erectors failed to address the hazards associated with fall protection systems. OSHA cited the company for one serious violation for not securing a ladder properly, one willful violation for allowing workers to erect buildings without fall protection above a certain height, and one repeat violation for failing to ensure the safety of employees using an aerial lift.The proposed penalties amount to a staggering $266,416, reflecting the gravity of the company's non-compliance. The agency had previously cited Sonny Steel Erectors for similar violations in February 2019, July 2019, and October 2022.Despite being repeatedly warned and penalized, the company persisted in neglecting the safety of its workers. OSHA's Area Director Mhekeba Hager in Houston expressed deep concern, stating that the company seems unwilling to end its long-standing pattern of endangering its employees.Operating since 1999 in Houston, Sonny Steel Erectors employs approximately 50 workers who specialize in commercial structural steel erection.
