An OSHA news release reported that a Russellville, Ala., based steel and roofing contractor was sentenced for making false statements to OSHA.
The contractor, Marcus Borden, was supervising a crew of five men working on a roofing project when a severe thunderstorm occurred, the report says. Three of the workers were seriously injured—one had an injured shoulder after the storm threw him across the roof, another was wrapped in a sheet of metal and fell 30 feet to the ground, breaking his wrists, ribs, tail bone, and pelvis, and the third was thrown against the edge of new metal roof and needed his left arm amputated.
"Marcus Borden provided false information to OSHA during the investigation and needs to face the consequences for his actions," said Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA's regional administrator in Atlanta. "The injuries sustained by the three employees could have been avoided if Borden had fulfilled his responsibility to ensure a safe working environment and provide the necessary protection to his workers."