Modular home manufacturer fined $272K by OSHA for 27 health and safety violations
An OSHA investigation has determined that Cavco Industries Inc., parent company of Palm Harbor Homes, exposed employees to over two dozen serious violations. The company, which produces modular and manufactured homes, was cited for 25 serious and two other-than-serious violations. These violations include a lack of required fall protection, allowing overhead hazards and suspended loads, a lack of welding screens, and no safe access to electrical shutoffs. Cavco has been cited for 38 workplace safety and health violations since 2015. This most recent inspection, which happened in October 2023, was conducted under the National Emphasis Program Site-Specific Targeting for establishments with high injury rates. The company faces $272,479 in penalties for their violations.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, OSHA Area Director Monica Camacho said, “The findings of our investigations and Cavco Industries’ history of violations suggest that the company is failing in its responsibility to keep work areas safe and healthful. OSHA has specific standards for the manufacturing industry and provides many resources to inform employers and employees. There is no excuse for these kinds of failures that expose workers to serious and potentially fatal injuries.”
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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