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Fall Hazards at Construction
Site Result in $79,500 OSHA Fine
A South Bend, Indiana based
steel erection contractor's failure to provide fall protection
for its employees at a Pembroke, New Hampshire, jobsite has resulted
in $79,500 in proposed fines from the U.S. Department of Labor's
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The contractor was cited
for alleged willful and serious safety hazards following an OSHA
inspection begun November 22, 2006, after OSHA was informed about
fall hazards at the site located on Route 106. OSHA found employees
working without fall protection at heights greater than 15 feet
while installing steel walls on the side of a steel frame storage
building.
OSHA issued one willful citation,
carrying the maximum proposed fine of $70,000, for the lack of
fall protection. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed
with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the
requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations.
"This employer knew
fall protection was required for these employees yet did not
require them to use it, even though falls are the number one
killer in construction work," said Rosemarie Ohar, OSHA's
area director in New Hampshire. "Effective fall protection
is absolutely essential for safeguarding employees against death
or crippling injuries."
The inspection also determined
that the employees lacked a ladder to provide safe access to
their work area and were not provided fall protection training
that would have allowed them to identify fall hazards and protective
measures. In addition, employees working beneath the steel erection
activity did not wear head protection.
These conditions resulted
in the issuance of three serious citations, with $9,500 in proposed
fines. A serious citation is issued when death or serious physical
harm is likely to result from a hazard about which the employer
knew or should have known.
Detailed information on fall
protection and steel erection safety, including an interactive
eTool, is available on OSHA's Web site.
The company has 15 business
days from receipt of the citations to request and participate
in an informal conference with OSHA's area director or to contest
the citations before the independent Occupational Safety and
Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA's
Concord Area Office, telephone (603) 225-1629.
Source: OSHA News Release 5/08/07
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