Scaffolding Collapse Leads to Florida Contractor's $69,168 Fine

Scaffolding Collapse Leads to Florida Contractor's $69,168 Fine

In October 2010, two employees were painting the inside of a water tank when a suspended scaffold device anchored on the outer surface of a roof hole fell through the hole, causing one side of the scaffold to collapse.

February 21, 2011

OSHA has cited M Brothers Paintings Inc. of St. Augustine, Fla., with 15 safety violations following a scaffolding collapse at a Hollywood, Fla., worksite that seriously injured two workers. Penalties total $69,168.
In October 2010, two employees were painting the inside of a water tank when a suspended scaffold device anchored on the outer surface of a roof hole fell through the hole, causing one side of the scaffold to collapse. The two workers fell approximately 25 feet.
"If proper safety precautions had been taken, these injuries could have been prevented," said Darlene Fossum, OSHA's area director in Fort Lauderdale. "It is the employer's responsibility to ensure all aspects of OSHA's standards are followed."
Fourteen serious safety violations were cited with a penalty of $59,928 for failure to inspect the scaffold and its components for defects; ensure the suspension scaffold device could rest on surfaces capable of supporting at least four times the load; protect workers with adequate fall protection; train workers to recognize the hazards associated with the use of shackles as anchor devices on supporting surfaces; and provide a safety and health program that includes hazard prevention and control. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
A repeat citation with a penalty of $9,240 was issued for failing to equip the load end of the wire suspension rope with thimbles. The thimbles can prevent the wire from pitching and abrading while preventing the load from coming into direct contact with the wire. OSHA cited the company in September 2010 for failing to meet the agency's safety standard for scaffolding. A repeat citation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.


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Chemical tanks explode at design factory in Maldon

Chemical tanks explode at design factory in Maldon

February 10, 2011

Fire crews were faced with very explosive materials inside the factory
Two chemical tanks have exploded during a blaze at a design manufacturing plant in Essex.

Six fire crews were called to the Sil-Die factory in Fullbridge, Maldon, at 1245 GMT.

Two phosphorus tanks have exploded and crews have been hampered by a number of potentially explosive chemicals.

The fire service said the two-storey property has been "totally destroyed" and a heavy plume of smoke can be seen over the town.

'Huge bang'
An Essex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "First one tank exploded and then that made the second tank explode.

"There was a huge bang and the explosion created a bright white flash with pieces of phosphorus flying out everywhere.

"Crews are battling hard at this incident but the chemicals involved are creating problems. Parts of the building have already collapsed.

"A specialist chemical officer has been ordered to the scene as the basement is thought to contain magnesium developer and acetone fixer."

Roads in the area have been closed. An emergency refuge has been set up by the local authority to provide shelter for those unable to return to their homes.

'Roof collapsed'
At 1645 GMT Assistant Divisional Officer Nigel Dilley said the fire was coming under control but that crews expected to remain on the scene for some time.

He said: "The factory itself has been totally destroyed - the roof has collapsed, some of the walls are still standing but there was nothing crews could do to save it.

"The early call from the owner and the information he gave regarding the chemicals and their potential reaction to first crews at the scene averted a much more serious incident.

"We have a fire investigation officer involved in the incident although at this stage we are not treating it as deliberate."

Sil-die is a foiling and embossing manufacturer which produces artwork and design services.


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2 ironworkers killed in NYC construction site fall

2 ironworkers killed in NYC construction site fall

NEW YORK — Two mid-Hudson Valley ironworkers died after they fell 65 feet from a fifth floor through an open elevator shaft at a church construction site where they were installing steel, authorities said.

Brett McEnroe, 49, of Dover Plains, and Roy Powell, 51, of New Paltz, were working on a planned expansion of the Redeemer Presbyterian Church on Manhattan's Upper West Side Tuesday morning as members of a four-person crew, authorities said.

McEnroe, a married father of two, died at Roosevelt Hospital. Powell, who was married and had a son, died at St. Luke's Hospital, according to a report in the New York Daily News.

Powell was a member of Ironworkers Local 40 in Manhattan; McEnroe was a member of Local 417 in Newburgh, according to Bob Walsh, business manager for Local 40.

The city's buildings commissioner, Robert LiMandri, said it appeared the workers did not have proper fall protection, including harnesses, safety netting or a support platform. The church expansion began in 2009, with no mishaps reported until now.

He called the deaths "a tragic reminder" of the need to observe safety measures in the construction industry, and said the city would be investigating why the men were not equipped properly.

The commissioner issued a stop-work order for the building on West 83rd Street.

The workers were pronounced dead at hospitals after a 911 call at about 10:30 a.m.

Redeemer Presbyterian Church did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.

Four construction workers fell to their deaths in New York City last year.


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Food Safety Violations found at Nine Egg Farms

Food Safety Violations found at Nine Egg Farms

February 1, 2011

Government inspectors have found food safety violations at egg farms beyond the Iowa operations linked to last summer's salmonella outbreak.

The Food and Drug Administration has completed inspections of 35 farms targeted because they were associated with previous outbreaks or had a history of poor compliance, reports Des Moines Register. Most of the problems cited by the inspectors involved inadequate record-keeping, the agency reported yesterday, 1 February.

Under egg safety regulations that took effect last year, farms are required to document compliance on a variety of issues, including rodent monitoring and biosecurity measures.

Inspectors found 76 positive samples for salmonella around barns owned by one producer.

Inspectors found one hen-house with inadequate control of rodents, which can transmit salmonella bacteria to the birds. One company did not store its eggs at 45 degrees or below.

Nine companies own the farms, which are located in Maine, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and Washington. The company names were not disclosed.

Twelve of the farms were advised of problems that needed to be fixed. No action was needed for 11 others. Evaluations of the rest were still pending.

Des Moines Register reports that last year's outbreak led to the recall of 550 million eggs produced by Wright County Egg of Galt and New Hampton-based Hillandale Farms of Iowa. Both companies were forced in August to divert their eggs to be pasteurized into food products while the FDA investigated the operations and the farms corrected problems.

Hillandale, which had used Wright County Egg's hens and feed, was allowed to resume the sale of fresh eggs in October. Wright County Egg has been allowed to resume some sales of fresh eggs but only from two barns on one of the company's six farms.


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3 dead, 5 missing after massive Pa. gas blast

Explosion set fire to several houses and sent flames hundreds of feet into the air

February 10, 2011

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Three dead and five were missing after a massive natural gas explosion demolished and set fire to homes and sent flames hundreds of feet into the air in eastern Pennsylvania.

Allentown fire Chief Robert Scheirer said the victim lived in a two-story row house that exploded Wednesday night. An elderly couple in their 70s lived in the home, but Scheirer says the condition of the body prevented positive identification.

Five other people were still unaccounted for after the blast that leveled two houses. The cause of the explosion is unclear.

The fire that burned for hours has been put out, and 500 to 600 residents who were evacuated are returning to their homes.

Allentown fire Chief Robert Scheirer said early Thursday that the fire consumed an entire row of homes. He predicted eight will be lost and another 16 damaged.

Missing couple The explosion happened at 10:45 p.m. in the home of Beatrice Hall, 74, and husband William, 79, the Allentown Morning Call newspaper reported on its website. The Halls were among the missing, Police Chief Roger MacClean said.

Images from NBC station WCAU showed flames reaching hundreds of the feet into the air from the scene of the blast. The explosion was so powerful it was felt nine miles away in Bethlehem, Pa.

The blaze was put out early Thursday, delayed by the difficulty of digging through packed layers of snow and ice to a ruptured underground gas line that was feeding the flames, Scheirer said.

Residents were allowed to return home early Thursday. They had been taken to a Jewish community center and an agricultural hall at the city's fairgrounds while emergency crews worked overnight.

The blast also downed dozens of high-power electrical lines, according to radio reports monitored by the Morning Calland msnbc.com. PPL Electric Utilities shut down power in the area.

'Under attack'
The blast was so powerful that it sent a flat-screen computer monitor sailing into the back of Antonio Arroyo, whose house was on the opposite end of the row from the house that exploded.

"I thought we were under attack," he recalled from a shelter where some 250 people took refuge in the hours after the blast.

Arroyo and his wife, Jill, both 43, lost their home in the fire.

Antonio said he ran outside and saw that an entire house had been leveled, a fireball now raging in the spot where it once stood.

"What I saw, I couldn't believe," said Arroyo, a community volunteer.

He and his wife, a nurse, fled their home with only the clothes on their back. They planned to return at daylight to see what they could salvage. Jill Arroyo broke down sobbing when she recalled her son's athletic memorabilia — likely lost in the blaze — including DVDs of his high school football games.

"The DVDs are gone. All his trophies are gone. All gone," she sobbed as her husband comforted her.

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Texas Chemical Plant Explosion - Enterprise Products

Texas Chemical Plant Explosion - Enterprise Products
Breaking News

February 8, 2011

Fire follows explosion; 3 workers unaccounted for...

MONT BELVIEU, Texas — An explosion and fire ripped through a Houston-area chemical plant, leaving thee people unaccounted for Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
Explosions were heard about 12:15 p.m. at Enterprise Products on Sun Oil Road in Mont Belvieu, about 35 miles east of Houston, NBC station KPRC reported.
Bright orange flames consumed a large part of the plant that produces octane-boosting gasoline additives. Thick black smoke filled the air as TV images showed flame-engulfed vehicles parked adjacent to the plant.
Mont Belvieu Mayor Nick Dixon told msnbc cable TV that flames could be seen for 7 miles.
Three people were unaccounted for at the plant, where 600 to 700 work, Dixon said.
The flames were not near homes, he said.
No evacuations or shelters were ordered, KPRC said.
Nearby streets were closed.

Houston-based Enterprise is one of the country's largest shippers and processors of natural gas in, including 49,100 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines.

Developing story, details to follow..

UPDATE 02/08/11

Exxon Mobil Corp's (XOM.N) Baytown, Texas, petrochemical complex has sustained only minimal impact from Tuesday's fire at the nearby Enterprise Products Partners (EPD.N) Mont Belvieu, Texas, natural gas liquids and petrochemical complex, a spokesman said.

"Our Baytown Complex - which includes both refinery and the various chemical facilities - is operational and all units are running with minimal impacts," said Exxon spokesman Kevin Allexon. "We continue to closely monitor and assess the situation."

Exxon's Baytown refinery is the largest in the United States at 560,640 barrels per day (bpd). Adjoining the refinery are a chemical plant and an olefins plant.

The Enterprise Products Mont Belvieu complex includes plants for processing natural gas liquids into chemicals, some which increase octane in gasoline.

A massive fire broke out early on Tuesday afternoon at a natural gas liquids storage area of the complex. Main production facilities were not affected by the blast, an Enterprise spokesman said on Tuesday.

One worker remained unaccounted for following the fire. There were no injuries reported due to the blast and ensuing fire, which was visible in Houston, 35 miles (56 min) west.

Rick Rainey, public relations director for Enterprise Products, said there are normally eight to 10 workers in the facility located 35 miles east of Houston. All the workers got out safely, he said.

"As of right now our main concern is to make sure that we get this thing contained," Rainey said.
Hours after the explosion, the plant, which processes and stores liquids that are separated from natural gas, continues to burn. Nothing that is burning is toxic, Rainey said.
Pipelines to the plant were shut down so no new flows come into the facility. But the liquids in the pipe are continuing to burn.

Rainey said the pipelines weren’t near capacity so the fire won’t burn as long as it might have at full capacity.

There are no plans to try to extinguish the fire. Instead, the plan is to focus on letting it burn and cooling the area around it.

One nearby school has been evacuated. The main area of the plant where most of the equipment was located has not been affected by the explosion and blaze.

The facility in Chambers County is a natural gas fractionation facility, where natural gas liquids are separated into different components before being put into storage or injected into pipelines. It has a capacity of about 305,000 barrels of natural gas liquids per day. Recently, it has become an important hub to oil and gas producers in South Texas’ Eagle Ford shale formation, where large quantities of natural gas liquids are being extracted and processed for usage by Gulf Coast petrochemical plants and other customers.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said the plant had recorded no major permit violations over the past five years.

A preliminary search of Occupational Safety and Health Administration data does not find any incidents reported on this Enterprise facility. In June 2005 a worker was killed at an Enterprise facility in Mirando City in South Texas near Nuevo Laredo when there was an unexpected release of pressurized flammable material from a production compressor.

Houston-based Enterprise is one of the country's largest shippers and processors of natural gas in, including 49,100 miles of onshore and offshore pipelines.

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OSHA cites south Georgia manufacturer with 46 serious safety and health violations

OSHA cites south Georgia manufacturer with 46 serious safety and health violations

Feb. 8, 2011

US Department of Labor's OSHA cites south Georgia
manufacturer with 46 serious safety and health violations
US Erosion Control Products exposed workers to combustible dust hazards

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Protech Environmental South Inc., doing business as U.S. Erosion Control Products Inc., following an inspection that uncovered 46 alleged safety and health hazards including worker exposure to heavy accumulations of combustible dust. Proposed penalties total $55,250.

After receiving a complaint, OSHA began an inspection in August 2010 at the company's site in Willacoochee, Ga. Serious citations were issued for violations that included exposing workers to explosion hazards resulting from inadequate dust control, exposing workers to dust without respiratory protection, failing to clean up thick dust accumulations, using unapproved electrical equipment and forklifts in locations that may include flammable or combustible materials, absence of a fire extinguisher in a straw storage area and fire extinguishers missing from their mounts.

Additional serious citations included exposing workers to fall hazards, electrical hazards, obstructed exit routes, hazards related to the use of liquid propane gas, amputation hazards from a lack of machine guards, hazards from damaged forklifts, and hazards related to lack of eye protection and lack of a hearing conservation program. OSHA issues a serious citation when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

"Combustible dust is a major safety and health hazard, and employers must recognize and correct hazards that expose their employees to death or serious physical harm," said Robert Vazzi, OSHA's area director in Savannah.

OSHA initiated its Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program on Oct. 18, 2007, to inspect facilities that generate or handle combustible dust that poses a deflagration/explosion or other fire hazard. Following a massive sugar dust explosion at Imperial Sugar's Port Wentworth, Ga., facility on Feb. 7, 2008, that killed 14 workers and injured many more, OSHA revised the combustible dust program to include more inspections and to focus on industries with frequent and high consequence dust incidents. More information on combustible dust is available at http://www.osha.gov/dsg/combustibledust/index.html.

After the inspection, the company moved to Pearson, Ga., where it continues to produce erosion control products using natural materials such as straw.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with the OSHA area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The site was inspected by OSHA's area office in Savannah; telephone 912-652-4393. To report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call the agency's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/.

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OSHA fines Chicago-area contractor $60,600

OSHA fines Chicago-area contractor $60,600

Feb. 8, 2011

US Department of Labor's OSHA fines Chicago-area contractor $60,600
for failing to provide trench cave-in protection for workers

BENSENVILLE, Ill. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued Doherty, Giannini & Rietz Construction Inc., an underground contractor located in Bensenville, one willful and one repeat safety citation for failing to protect workers from cave-ins during trenching operations at a Chicago, Ill., jobsite. The company faces proposed penalties of $60,600.

"Cave-ins are a leading cause of worker fatalities during excavations," said Gary Anderson, OSHA's area director in Calumet City, Ill. "This is the fourth time in recent months that OSHA has issued citations to this contractor related to the cave-in protection standard. Workers' safety should be paramount on a jobsite, and OSHA is committed to protecting workers, especially when employers fail to do so."

The willful citation alleges that a Doherty, Giannini & Rietz Construction employee was working in a trench at a depth greater than 6 feet without cave-in protection during a December 2010 inspection. A trench box was present on the site but not installed in the trench. The inspection was conducted under an OSHA national emphasis program on trenching and excavation. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

The company was issued the repeat citation for failing to establish a safe work zone as regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation's manual on uniform traffic control devices. A repeat citation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

The company has been inspected by OSHA 27 times since 1988, resulting in 16 prior citations for lack of cave-in protection at various worksites. Four of those violations have been issued since June 2010, including the citation from the December inspection.

OSHA standards mandate that all excavations 5 feet or deeper be protected against collapse. Detailed information on trenching and excavation hazards, adopted by OSHA in the 1980s, is available on the agency's website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/trenchingexcavation/index.html.

Doherty, Giannini & Rietz Construction has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Employers and employees with questions regarding workplace safety and health standards can call OSHA's Calumet City Area Office at 708-891-3800. To report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call the agency's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/.

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OSHA cites Kearny, NJ, pool chemical manufacturer for workplace hazards, proposes more than $70,000 in fines

OSHA cites Kearny, NJ, pool chemical manufacturer for workplace hazards, proposes more than $70,000 in fines

Feb. 7, 2011

US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Kearny, NJ, pool chemical
manufacturer for workplace hazards, proposes more than $70,000 in fines

KEARNY, N.J. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Kearny-based Alden Leeds Inc. for exposing employees to safety hazards at worksites located in Kearny and Hackensack, N.J. Proposed penalties total $70,400.

"Employers who fail to follow through on their responsibility to provide safe workplaces will be held legally accountable," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Parsippany, N.J., area office. "It is vital that Alden Leeds remove these hazards immediately."

OSHA initiated an inspection in response to a complaint, citing Alden Leeds for 23 serious violations with penalties of $66,550 and five other-than-serious violations with penalties of $3,850.

The serious citations are for failing to ensure workers being lifted by a forklift truck had an approved manlift cage; provide sufficient guardrails on work platforms; keep exits clear and mark exit doors; provide stable material storage; evaluate forklift operators every three years; conduct a preventative maintenance program for 2-ton cranes; ensure compressed air used for cleaning did not exceed 30 pounds per square inch; and ensure workers did not use damaged electrical equipment. OSHA issues a serious citation when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

The other-than-serious violations pertain to recordkeeping. An other-than-serious violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

Alden Leeds Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, meet with the OSHA area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA's Parsippany Area Office, which can be reached at 973-263-1003. To report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call the agency's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/.

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OSHA secures decision affirming willful and serious trenching violations, $91,200 in fines against Boston contractor

OSHA secures decision affirming willful and serious trenching violations, $91,200 in fines against Boston contractor

Feb. 7, 2011

US Labor Department secures decision affirming willful and serious
trenching violations, $91,200 in fines against Boston contractor

BOSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has won a decision from an administrative law judge upholding eight citations and $91,200 in fines issued to a Boston contractor for excavation and other construction safety hazards. The department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Shawn Telsi, doing business as Life Time Homes, Green Pines and/or Telsi Builders, following an August 2009 inspection of a construction site at 394 Dedham St. in Newton, Mass.

During that inspection, OSHA found employees working without cave-in protection in an excavation up to 14 feet deep. The excavation lacked a safe means of exit and had piles of soil stored at its edge. Employees also risked impalement upon unguarded steel rebar, falls into uncovered 7-foot-deep holes and injuries from lack of head protection.

OSHA cited Telsi in February 2010, and the company contested its citations and fines to the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission the following month. A hearing was held in Boston on Sept. 28, 2010, before Administrative Law Judge Covette Rooney. Rooney recently ruled, upholding the four willful and four serious citations, and the monetary penalties issued by OSHA.

"Serious, life-threatening hazards remained uncorrected even after they were brought to this employer's attention," said Marthe Kent, OSHA's New England regional administrator. "In one instance, had the unprotected 14-foot-high excavation wall collapsed, it would have engulfed workers who were pouring concrete formwork and crushed them beneath tons of concrete, soil and debris."

"Employers must understand that they cannot disregard standards meant to protect the life and safety of their employees without facing consequences," said Michael Felsen, the Labor Department's regional solicitor for New England. "This decision not only affirms OSHA's findings, it also shows that the Department of Labor will not hesitate to pursue appropriate legal action on behalf of America's workers."

Telsi has 20 days from the date the administrative law judge's decision is docketed with the review commission to appeal. The safety inspection was conducted by OSHA's Andover Area Office in Massachusetts. The case was litigated for OSHA by senior trial attorney Paul Katz of the department's Boston Regional Solicitor's Office.

The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission is an independent federal agency created to decide contests of citations or penalties resulting from workplace inspections conducted by OSHA. An employer who is cited by OSHA for an alleged workplace health or safety violation can contest the OSHA citation and have the case heard by a commission administrative law judge, who ultimately issues a decision. The judge's decision can then be appealed to the commission, whose members are presidential appointees.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/index.html.

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OSHA cites North Branford, Conn., contractor $53,000 in Proposed Fines

OSHA cites North Branford, Conn., contractor $53,000 in Proposed Fines

Feb. 7, 2011

US Labor Department's OSHA cites North Branford, Conn., contractor
for failing to provide cave-in protection at Stratford, Conn., jobsite
Cherry Hill Construction faces more than $53,000 in proposed fines

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Cherry Hill Construction Co. Inc. for alleged repeat and serious violations of workplace safety standards following an OSHA inspection of a worksite in front of 370 Bruce Ave. in Stratford, where the company was installing a catch basin cover. The North Branford contractor faces a total of $53,460 in proposed fines.

OSHA's inspection found a Cherry Hill Construction employee working in an excavation deeper than 5 feet that lacked proper protection against a collapse of its sidewalls as well as a ladder or other safe means of exit. The worker also was exposed to being struck by the bucket of an excavator that was placing gravel in the excavation.

"The unprotected walls of an excavation can collapse in seconds, stunning and crushing workers beneath tons of soil and debris before they have a chance to react or escape," said Robert Kowalski, OSHA's area director in Bridgeport. "Employers must never allow an employee to face such a dangerous situation. Before a worker enters, each excavation must be effectively protected."

OSHA cited the company in 2008 and 2009 for excavation hazards at worksites in North Branford and Orange, Conn., respectively, and in 2008 for lacking safe exit access from an excavation at a North Branford worksite. As a result of these recurring conditions, the employer has been issued two repeat citations with $48,510 in proposed fines for the latest hazards. A repeat citation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

Cherry Hill Construction Co. Inc. also has been issued one serious citation with a $4,950 fine for failing to prohibit an employee from working under and within the swing radius of the excavator bucket. OSHA issues a serious citation when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

OSHA standards require that all trenches and excavations 5 feet or deeper be protected against collapse. Detailed information on hazards and safeguards related to trenching and excavation is available online at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/trenchingexcavation/index.html.

Cherry Hill Construction Co. Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with the OSHA area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. This inspection was conducted by OSHA's Bridgeport Area Office; telephone 203-579-5581. To report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call the agency's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/.

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OSHA Fines Company $54,000 for Hazards at Tewksbury Site

 

Inspector drove past job site on his way to work and happened to see violations.

February 5, 2011

 

(Editor's note: The following information was submitted by The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.)

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Georgoulis Construction Inc. for alleged willful and serious violations of safety standards for fall hazards at a Tewksbury worksite. The Dracut roofing contractor faces a total of $53,900 in proposed fines.

The citations and penalties stem from an OSHA inspection opened Nov. 10, 2010. An OSHA inspector en route to his office observed employees exposed to apparent fall hazards while driving by 279 Chandler St.  An inspection was opened on the spot. OSHA found Georgoulis employees exposed to falls while working atop a roof greater than 6 feet without any fall protection. They were exposed to an additional fall hazard while accessing the roof by using a ladder that did not extend at least 3 feet above the landing surface for required stability.

“The size of this penalty reflects the gravity of the hazard and the employer’s knowledge of its existence,” said Jeffery A. Erskine, OSHA’s area director for Middlesex and Essex counties. “A fall can occur in seconds but the resulting injuries can be permanent or end a life. There’s no reason for failing to provide this essential and legally required safeguard for workers.”

As a result of its inspection, OSHA has issued Georgoulis Construction one willful citation with a $49,000 fine for the lack of fall protection and one serious citation with a fine of $4,900 for the ladder hazard. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health. OSHA issues a serious citation when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Detailed information for workers and employers on construction fall hazards and safeguards is available online at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/construction.html.

Georgoulis Construction Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with the OSHA area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. This latest inspection was conducted by OSHA’s Andover Area Office; telephone 978- 837-4460. To report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call the agency’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to assure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/.   

 

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OSHA Fines New York Manufacturer $220K

February 3, 2011

OSHA has fined an Upstate New York manufacturer $2200,000 for a range of workplace safety violations.
Syracuse-based Oberdorfer — which manufactures aluminum castings —had 28 alleged violations of workplace health and safety standards, including failing to correct some hazards cited during a previous OSHA inspection, the federal agency said.
OSHA previously cited the company for a variety of violations involving employee overexposure to airborne concentrations of silica, which has been classified as a carcinogen. This newest inspection found the company failed to implement engineering controls to reduce workers' exposure to silica. In addition, the inspection found that an employee who was overexposed to silica lacked a respirator.
"This company was given the time and opportunity to take effective corrective action, yet our latest inspections identified silica-related hazards that either went uncorrected or were allowed to recur. This is unacceptable," said Christopher Adams, OSHA's area director in Syracuse. "The sizable fines levied here reflect the severity and recurring nature of these conditions. They must be corrected - once and for all - to help ensure the health and safety of the workers at this plant."
As a result of its latest inspections, OSHA issued the company two failure-to-abate notices carrying $75,000 in fines for the uncorrected conditions and one willful citation with a $70,000 fine for the lack of respiratory protection. A failure-to-abate notice is issued, and additional fines proposed, when an employer fails to correct previously cited hazards. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
The company also was issued 21 serious citations with $72,000 in fines for fall, electrical and machine guarding hazards; a locked exit door; lack of a permit-required confined space program and training; failure to develop specific lockout/tagout procedures to prevent the unintended start up of machinery; lack of an eyewash station; and failing to provide training on silica. Finally, the company was issued four other-than-serious citations with $3,000 in fines for inadequate recording of workplace injuries and illnesses.
The company has 15 days to respond to fines and allegations.

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Illinois Roofing Firm Fined $102,000 for Fall Protection Hazards

Illinois Roofing Firm Fined $102,000 for Fall Protection Hazards

The company's willful and repeat safety violations put McEntire's Roofing in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

• Feb 02, 2011

OSHA has issued McEntire's Roofing Inc. of Lincoln, Ill., six citations for failing to provide fall protection for roofers working on residential projects. The company faces penalties totaling $102,000.
The citations are the result of two OSHA investigations, conducted under the agency's Local Emphasis Program on Fall Hazards, which took place in July and September 2010 at jobsites in Bloomington and Lincoln, Ill. Two willful citations carrying $56,000 in penalties were issued after inspectors observed roofers being allowed to operate without fall protection at two-story residential projects. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
"Falls are a leading cause of injury and death in the workplace," said Thomas Bielema, OSHA's area director in Peoria, Ill. "McEntire's Roofing repeatedly has been cited for not providing adequate fall protection and that is unacceptable. OSHA is committed to ensuring employers abide by the law, which requires commonsense safety practices."
OSHA issued McEntire's Roofing two repeat citations with proposed fines of $42,000 for allegedly not having a grasping handle and/or a ladder extended 3 feet or more above the roofline for workers to access in order to prevent falls. A repeat citation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.
Two serious citations were issued to the company alleging that a damaged ladder was used to access an upper roof area and for failing to have a ladder inspected by a competent person. Those violations carry total penalties of $4,000. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
OSHA standards require that an effective form of fall protection, such as guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems, be in use when workers perform residential construction activities 6 feet or more above the next lower level. Detailed information on fall protection hazards and safeguards is available online at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/index.html.
The company's willful and repeat safety violations put McEntire's Roofing in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which focuses on employers with a history of safety violations that endanger workers by demonstrating indifference to their responsibilities under the law. This enforcement tool includes mandatory OSHA follow-up inspections and inspections of other worksites of the same employer where similar hazards and deficiencies may be present. For more information on SVEP, visit http://www.osha.gov/dep/svep-directive.pdf*.
Prior to the two inspections detailed above, McEntire's Roofing had been inspected by OSHA six times since 2005, resulting in 15 prior citations.


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