SNOHOMISH — After 15 citations, the owner of a Snohomish framing company is now facing nearly $400,000 in fines for allegedly allowing crew members to work more than 26 feet above the ground without fall protection, according to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.
Cecilio Solorio, owner of Genesis Framing Construction, faces $396,847 in fines for nine violations.
Reached by a Herald reporter Tuesday, Solorio said he will appeal the citations.
Falls are among the most serious hazards and can result in injuries or even death, the agency said.
Solorio has been cited and fined for the same violation 15 times, according to Labor & Industries.
When the agency reviewed Genesis Framing’s inspection history, it found Solorio had several previous willful and repeat fall protection violations for two additional businesses he operates: Chilos Builders and Solorio’s Framing.
From 2o16 to 2020, 30 workers employed by those businesses have been injured, the agency reported in 2020.
The latest violations involved a two-story home in Seattle the construction company was framing.
Inspectors arrived at the site in August and found one worker using a hand-made scaffold and another walking on a steep roof without fall protection — under the gaze of a foreman.
They also observed crew members working near unguarded wall openings more than 15 feet above the ground.
“Business owners like Mr. Solorio, who knowingly and repeatedly put workers at risk, are the reason Labor & Industries focuses greater scrutiny on severe and repeat violators,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for the agency’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
The agency’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program focuses on inspecting employers that have a history of committing willful, repeat infractions, and those who have failed to take proper safety measures.
Enforcement actions can include frequent inspections of businesses and worksites. The most severe cases can be referred to the state prosecuting attorney for criminal charges.
Janice Podsada: 425-339-3097; jpodsada@heraldnet.com;
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