The whimsically-named Water Color subdivision in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. turns out to be a dangerous place for the workers who are building it. According to OSHA investigators, workers were framing houses without required fall protection and lacked necessary PPE.

Sonic Creations Inc., of Destin, Florida, has been cited by OSHA for three repeat and two serious safety violations. Penalties total $53,020. Sonic Creations specializes in residential and commercial framing.

Company cited five times in 11 months

The repeat citations involve the employer failing to provide a fall protection system for employees working and walking on elevated surfaces and failing to ensure employees were provided personal protective equipment for the head, eyes and face. Sonic Creations was cited for these same violations in November 2013.

"This employer has been cited five times in the past 11 months for unsafe working conditions and yet we are still finding safety issues unaddressed," said Brian Sturtecky, director of OSHA's Jacksonville Area Office.

Protruding nails, hazardous debris

Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry and are responsible for thousands of serious injuries each year. The serious citations involve the employer's failure to keep the work site free from hazardous debris, such as construction materials and scrap lumber with protruding nails, and not protecting workers from falling to the lower level on scaffolding.

OSHA has created a fall prevention Web page at http://www.osha.gov/stopfalls with detailed information in English and Spanish on fall protection standards. The page offers fact sheets, posters and videos that vividly illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures.