Cal/OSHA Cites Solar Installation Company $193,905

Tuesday, June 18, 2019 | 0

California workplace safety regulators fined a solar panel installation company in Anaheim $193,905 for multiple serious safety hazards following an investigation into an accident where a worker fell from the roof of an Oakland home.

Three workers were installing solar panels at the Oakland residence Dec. 6 when one lost his footing and fell 15 feet onto a concrete driveway. The worker broke his wrist and jaw. None of the workers were using fall protection, Cal/OSHA said in a statement.

Cal/OSHA cited Nexus Energy Systems for three violations related to the December accident, including a willful serious accident-related violation as the employer failed to provide fall protection, and two serious violations for failing to provide training and ensure compliance with fall protection measures.

The agency cited Nexus for two general violations for failing to implement an effective heat illness protection plan, and an injury and illness prevention program that identifies and corrects hazards specific to the work site.

Cal/OSHA also cited the employer for two additional violations stemming from an incident that investigators learned had taken place the previous September, when a worker suffered electrical burns while connecting solar panels to an energized breaker box.

The agency noted one serious continuing violation for failing to provide insulated gloves or tools while working on energized equipment, and a general violation for the employer’s failure to investigate the industrial accident and take measures to correct safety hazards.