State cites 20 Michigan businesses for violating COVID, general safety rules

LANSING, Mich. – The state of Michigan has issued more citations for a number of workplaces accused of failing to comply with health and safety protocols designed to protect employees.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) reported Friday that 20 more workplaces in the state have been issued citations for violating COVID-19 emergency rules or general duty rules put in place to protect employees from contracting and spread COVID-19, and other hazards.

According to officials, MIOSHA employees conducted on-site inspections of the 20 workplaces and found them to be in violation of the emergency or general duty rules, for which a violation of either type of rule carries a fine of up to $7,000.

The following Michigan workplaces have received citations for the following reasons, as outlined by MIOSHA:

COVID-19 Emergency Rules Citations

1. Kortman Masonry, Inc. of Grandville, MI, was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for not having a COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, not conducting a daily entry self-screening of employees and not having employees maintain 6 feet of distance where possible. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, is $2,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
2. Orchard Hill Mechanical, Inc. of Casnovia, MI, was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for lack of a preparedness and response plan and not wearing face coverings. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $1,400. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
3. Artistic Decorating, Inc. of Flint, MI, was cited for an other-than-serious violation of MIOSHA COVID-19 Emergency Rules, specifically the lack of a written preparedness and response plan. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $1,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
4. F M Carpenters, LLC of Detroit, MI, was cited for an other-than-serious violation of MIOSHA COVID-19 Emergency Rules, specifically the lack of a preparedness and response plan. Total penalties for other workplace violations were $800. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
5. F. Corporation DBA D.F. Floor Covering of Flint, MI, was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for not developing a preparedness and response plan, not documenting daily health screenings, not requiring face coverings, and no training for COVID-19. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
6. Victor Carmona Services, LLC of Allendale, MI, was cited for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for lack of a preparedness and response plan. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $1,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
7. National Parts Depot-Michigan in Canton, MI, was fined $4,900 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including not detailing all required measures in a written COVID-19 preparedness and response program, not requiring or enforcing face coverings, not posting signs or other communication for employees and customers regarding COVID-19 symptoms and face covering requirements, not implementing an enhanced cleaning schedule, not implementing plexiglass barriers, not providing COVID-19 training, and not developing or implementing a screening protocol for employees. The inspection was initiated by an employee complaint, view full citation document.
8. United Construction Services LLC of Harbor Springs, MI, was cited for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements for not having on site a preparedness and response plan and not documenting daily health screenings. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $800. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
9. JRN Construction Services, LLC of Flint, MI, was cited for an other-than-serious violation of MIOSHA COVID-19 Emergency Rules, specifically the lack of a preparedness and response plan. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $800. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
10. Christian Etheridge State Farm in Temperance, MI, was cited for other-than-serious violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including not documenting their remote-work policy, not performing a health surveillance screening protocol on the day the MIOSHA inspector arrived, and not maintaining documentation for employee training related to COVID-19. The inspection was initiated under the COVID-19 Office SEP, view full citation document.
11. House of Pets, Inc. in Westland, MI, was fined $400.00 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including not performing a health screening protocol for employees, not conducting an exposure determination, not developing a written COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan, not posting signs at the store entrance informing customers not to enter if they are or have been sick, and not documenting employee training related to COVID-19. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint, view full citation document.

General Duty Citations

1. Tri State Development Inc. of Saginaw, MI, was fined $1,000 for violations of COVID- 19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties including other workplace violations were $2,800. The inspection was initiated as a planned program inspection, view full citation document.
2. Jose Torres Construction, LLC of Grand Rapids, MI, was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $9,000. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
3. J. McQuestion & Sons, Inc. of Leroy, MI, was fined $2,800 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of daily entry screening protocol, lack of social distancing, failure to increase cleaning and disinfection, failure to notify health department of an employee with a confirmed case of COVID-19, lack of recordkeeping, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. The inspection was in response to an employee complaint, view full citation document.
4. Country Boy Builder, LLC of Sheridan, MI, was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $8,300. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
5. C&M Exterior, LLC of Kalamazoo, MI, was fined $2,800 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $6,100. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
6. Eastbrook Homes Inc. of Grand Rapids, MI, was fined $3,500 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, lack of self-screening protocols for COVID-19, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $5,500. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
7. High Point Roofing, LLC of Holton, MI, was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties including other workplace violations, were$5,300. The inspection was initiated as a planned programmed inspection, view full citation document.
8. Sid’s Professional Roofing & More, LLC of Covert, MI, was fined $2,100 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including lack of a preparedness and response plan, failing to train employees on COVID-19 control strategies, lack of social distancing, and lack of face coverings when workers could not consistently maintain six feet of social distancing. Total penalties, including other workplace violations, were $8,200. The inspection was initiated as a planned-programmed inspection, view full citation document.
9. Michigan Web Press DBA Stafford Media Solutions in Greenville, MI, will be fined $4,200 for violations of COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including the lack of training for employees on the workplace controls for an infectious disease, not enforcing the use of masks, and not routinely cleaning or disinfecting frequently touched surfaces such as wiping down machine control and tools used between employees. Total penalties, including non-COVID citations, is $7,800. The inspection was initiated in response to an employee complaint, view full citation document.

Officials say cited employers can contest the violations and penalties within 15 business days of the MIOSHA citations. Information about workplace safety requirements for Michigan employers can be found online here.

To report health and safety concerns in the workplace, go to Michigan.gov/MIOSHAcomplaint.

Several Michigan businesses and workplaces have been issued citations and/or fined since the pandemic began for violating coronavirus guidelines and health and safety protocols. Nearly 40 Michigan bars and restaurants have had their liquor licenses suspended due to violating the state’s COVID order.

Read more

• 10 Michigan workplaces cited for violating COVID, general safety rules
• State suspends liquor licenses in Southfield, Oxford for violating Michigan COVID order
• Here are all 37 Michigan businesses that have had liquor licenses suspended for alleged COVID violations