Six men working for a Deerfield Beach general contracting firm are accused of avoiding millions of dollars in worker's compensation premiums and payroll taxes in an intricate multi-year fraud. The owners of Richard and Rice Construction LLC and four others were arrested this week on suspicion of taking part in the scheme that used shell companies to hide employee wages, according to a Broward Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit. Click here to read more:

A dangerous fraud scheme has infiltrated the construction industry in Florida over the last several years. Usually involving residential home building, it started in South Florida but has swept northward to encompass most major cities in the state. The scheme revolves around “shell companies,” which on the surface look legitimate and have proper workers comp coverage, but in reality are operating a giant pool of off-the-books labor and are hiding millions of dollars of unreported payroll. Click here to read more:

Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and the Department of Financial Services (DFS) today announced the recent arrest of Carlos Contreras, owner of DJC Builders & Construction. Contreras allegedly obtained a fraudulent workers’ compensation policy by underreporting the number of staff he employed, the company’s annual payroll amount and the company’s scope of work. By providing false information on the application, Contreras illegally avoided paying more than $1,000,000 in premium payments for an adequate policy. Click here to read more:

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Action Concrete Construction Inc. for exposing its employees to fall hazards and eye injuries. The company faces proposed penalties of $59,864. During its investigation of the company’s Panama City Beach worksite, OSHA inspectors identified one willful violation for failing to install guardrails or use personal fall arrest systems while employees worked at a height of 11 feet. OSHA also cited the company for allowing employees to use a pneumatic air gun without proper eye protection. The inspection was part of OSHA’s Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction. Click to read more:

If construction noise is such a serious risk, why aren’t construction workers protecting their ears? There are many factors that could explain this, including not having awareness of how loud construction work really is, lack of safety training, and having a weak safety culture in their organization. Here are some ways construction workers can protect their hearing and construction managers can promote better safety on the job site. Invest in quieter or noise cancelling equipment Employ sound barriers and enclosures Have on-site safety overnight Wear hearing protection devices Schedule regular hearing tests for workers Click here to read more:

Construction risks often evolve with variables ranging from job site location to level of training temporary workers receive. Every project has its own set of hazards, states Big Rentz. To effectively manage risk, high-impact, high-probability risks should be handled first, while low-impact, low-probability risks should be addressed last. In order to create an effective risk management plan, the company mentions five sources of risks that should be considered: Safety Risk: Any construction site risks or hazards that can lead to worker accidents. Financial Risk: Factors that impact your financial flow, including lack of sales, problems with the economy, unexpected cost increases, and competition with other firms. Legal Risk: Potential disputes in the fulfillment of contracts with clients. Project Risk: Project hazards such as poor management of resources, miscalculation of time, lack of proper policies, or misunderstanding of project deliverables. Environmental Risk: Floods, earthquakes, and other natural phenomena that damage construction sites and make work inaccessible. Big Rentz infographic provides a blueprint for managing construction risk. Click to read more:

It's no secret that those working on construction sites face certain risks that would not pertain to 9-5 office jobs. In fact, year after year, construction has consistently ranked as the industry with the most workplace associated fatalities in the United States - not exactly the type of list anyone wants to top. Heavy machinery, complex tools, and dangerous heights are just a few hazards that construction workers have to deal with on a day-to-day basis, and it's up to project authorities to make sure that the jobsite is as safe as possible. The good news is that recent innovations in tools and gear have helped make construction sites much safer, and there are far fewer workplace fatalities than ever before. This is also due in part to significant increases in safety regulations, and the creation of new roles that focus entirely on workplace safety. Although there is still a long way to go before reaching the goal of zero jobsite deaths per year, there is certainly a driving force to make construction a safer industry. Click here to read more.

Lee County's growing construction activity may be good for builders and remodelers but for 14 unlicensed contractors from Lee and Collier counties it was a bad time to place an ad for work. The Lee County Sheriff's Office Economic Crimes Unit conducted a three-day sting targeting unlicensed contractors. It began that Tuesday at a home in San Carlos Park. Click here to read more:

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a blog post with new guidance on classifying workers as employees or independent contractors under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA), an issue that has attracted renewed attention in the on-demand economy. Click here to read more:

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office conducted a sting operation this week that resulted in the arrest of 11 unlicensed contractors on felony and misdemeanor charges. On Nov. 18th and 19th, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, along with other agencies, conducted an operation focusing on identifying unlicensed contractors who advertise and perform general construction, plumbing and electrical work, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office press release. Read more here:

An unlicensed contractor from Fort Myers, Fla., has been arrested after he was found to be conducting subpar roof repairs and operating without insurance in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said Oscar M. Palma was arrested this month by the Department of Financial Services’ Disaster Fraud Action Strike Team. Palma was reported to authorities after allegedly making subpar roof repairs to an area apartment complex following Hurricane Irma. A statement from DFS said an investigation was then launched where fraud detectives found Palma was advertising himself as a licensed and insured contractor, but held no workers’ compensation coverage and was not licensed as a contractor. Click here to read more:

A Pinellas County couple is suing a contractor and homeowner, alleging their negligence led to loss of consortium and injuries. David Lugo Sanchez and Patricia Velasquez-Lugo filed a complaint Oct. 23 in Pinellas Circuit Court against Antonio Lopez and Nancy Dougher, alleging they failed to follow applicable safety guidelines and regulations. According to the complaint, on Aug. 29, 2014, Sanchez was working as a helper for Lopez, an unlicensed contractor, when he was injured when the refrigerator/freezer on Dougher's property fell over and landed on the plaintiff's foot. The suit says this caused a serious injury that required surgery for Sanchez. He was further damaged, the lawsuit states, by the lack of Lopez's valid workers compensation policy, while his wife suffered the loss of her husband's services, consortium and the care and comfort of his society. Click here to read more: