US Department of Labor fines Des Plaines solar contractor $288K in penalties for exposing workers to deadly fall hazards

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US Department of Labor fines Des Plaines solar contractor $288K in penalties for exposing workers to deadly fall hazards

Sunrun Installation Services Inc. received previous citations for lack of fall protection

DES PLAINES, IL - The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a solar panel and battery storage company with two repeat safety violations after federal investigators found the company exposed workers to deadly fall hazards twice within three months.

Investigators with the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administrationobserved employees of Sunrun Installation Services Inc. of Des Plaines working without required fall protection while installing solar panels at two residential homes in the Chicago suburbs - one in Oak Park on June 18, 2024, and another in Skokie on Aug. 8, 2024. Falls from elevations are the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries in the construction industry.

OSHA cited the company for two repeat safety violations and proposed $288,087 in penalties. The company has been cited previously for similar violations in Massachusetts in 2022 and New Jersey in 2023.

"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," explained OSHA Chicago North Area Director Sukhvir Kaur in Arlington Heights, Illinois. "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."

Founded in 2007, Sunrun Installation Services Inc. designs, installs and analyzes solar panel systems, and provides maintenance services to small and medium businesses, federal government, agriculture and cold storage, and retail and distribution sectors. Sunrun is headquartered in San Francisco.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 1,069 construction workers died on the job in 2022 and 395 of those deaths were fall-related. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that falls caused about 20,000 worker injuries annuallybetween 2013 and 2022.

OSHA's stop falls website offers safety information and video presentationsin English and Spanish to teach workers about fall hazards and proper safety procedures. The agency also offers compliance assistance resources on Protecting Roofing Workersand recommendations for developing a safety and health program.

Learn more about OSHA.

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