A briefing paper explaining to your CEO the risk of criminal liability for safety violations. Two ironworkers were killed when they got hit by a falling beam on a Chicago construction project. OSHA investigated and blamed the accident on the failure of an L-shaped connector that was secured with just a single bolt and no nut. The government brought criminal charges against the company. A jury found the company guilty of a “willful” OSHA violation. The company was fined $1 million and put on five years’ probation [United States v. Pitt-Des Moines, Inc., 168 F.3d 976 (7th Cir.), 1999].

THE PROBLEM