U.S. Department of Labor | The U.S. DOL has cited a Florida painting contractor for willfully exposing workers to fall and drowning hazards.
Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined that on 7 April 2025, Seminole Equipment Inc. bridge painters were removing scaffolding from the southbound I-95 bridge on the Ogeechee River when one worker fell into the river and drowned.
The agency concluded that the Tarpon Springs, Florida-based employer failed to ensure employees used fall protection and life jackets while working on the bridge section.
OSHA cited Seminole Equipment Inc. for five willful and three serious violations and proposed $877,220 in penalties.
The agency also issued two serious violations to The L.C. Whitford Co. Inc., the controlling employer for the site, and proposed a penalty of $26,480.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of their citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
