Seven job-site deaths
in 18 months have
sparked action on
safety by Denverarea
home builders
and OSHA officials
by Ted Cushman
Denver, Colo., is a boomtown
for home builders.
About two years ago, the area
emerged from a long building
slump and into a period of
red-hot home sales and residential
construction. But the
building boom came at a terrible
price for some. Over 18
months, many workers were
injured and seven lost their
lives on residential building
sites.
Alarmed by the surge in
injuries and deaths, federal
OSHA officials have started
paying special attention to
residential sites. But the
Denver OSHA branch's
efforts go well beyond its traditional
methods of surprise
inspections and fines. Bart
Chadwick, director of
OSHA's Region VIII headquarters
in Denver, says, "Just
levying big fines with no