Crystal Lake construction company faces $287K in OSHA fines for exposing workers to fall risks in Elburn

A Crystal Lake contractor faces more than $287,000 in potential OSHA fines for eight safety violations that created fall risks for its employees, officials report.

Crystal Lake-based contractor 595 Construction LLC, located at 3405 E. Terra Cotta Ave., faces fines totaling to $287,465 for multiple willful, repeat and serious violations, according to a news release issued Wednesday by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Federal inspectors observed employees working “at heights greater than 6 feet and for failing to certify they trained workers to recognize hazards or prevent falls,” according to the release. Violations also include unsafe use of ladders, use of damaged slings to hoist materials and failure to ensure workers had the certification needed to operate industrial vehicles, the agency said.

595 Construction employees were found framing a residential structure “without required protections three times at three residential worksites in the same neighborhood” in May in Elburn, according to the release. The citations were recorded at the 1500 block of Collins Drive and twice at the 200 block of Davidson Drive in Elburn. Similar violations made by the company were recorded in Lockport and Plainfield in 2022 and 2023, OSHA reported.

“After OSHA opens an investigation at one worksite, we often find the same contractor has done nothing to correct similar hazards at its other sites and not bothered to make certain to train work crews on complying with federal safety protections,” OSHA’s Naperville Area Director Jacob Scott said in the release. “For several years, 595 Construction has shown a chronic disregard for safe work operations and a willingness to put its employees lives and well-being at risk.”

The owner of 595 Construction LLC could not be reached for comment.

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries in the construction industry, and among the safety violations most cited by OSHA, according to the release. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1,069 construction workers died on the job, with 395 of those deaths resulting from falls from elevation in 2022.

“Falls are the leading cause of injuries and deaths for construction workers,” Scott said in the release. “There is no excuse for 595 Construction failing to take immediate corrective action.”