The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Monday that it cited an Alabama concrete contractor following the July 2023 death of a worker who collapsed from heat illness at a Huntsville construction site.
OSHA cited SJ&L General Contractor LLC for heat-related violations and proposed $16,131 in penalties after investigators found employees working 10-hour shifts while temperatures soared to 107 degrees and the humidity was at 85%.
The worker who died was seen by coworkers “stumbling, talking incoherently and eventually vomiting before becoming unresponsive,” according to OSHA. Coworkers provided first aid but the employee died two hours after being transported to a hospital.
OSHA said SJ&L employees worked under direct sunlight without proper access to shade and rest.
The company has 15 business days to contest the citation and proposed penalties.