OSHA inspectors who observed some employees working on a roof without fall protection opened an investigation at the site, which led to fines and citations for New Homes Construction, Inc. of Burlington, New Jersey.

This was not the first time the general contractor ran afoul of OSHA standards. Two of the citations it was issued were repeat ones for not providing fall protection and for other safety hazards.

Five serious citations were issued for violations including the use of damaged and defective equipment, and lack of employee training.

Proposed penalties: $40,480

Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. Paula Dixon-Roderick, director of OSHA's Marlton Area Office said there were three fall fatalities in her jurisdiction last year. Of the 751 construction industry fatalities that occurred in the U.S. in 2010, 35 percent were the result of falls, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

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