The company's "refusal to honor the requirements of this agreement reflects an irresponsible approach to worker safety and health, leaving workers vulnerable to injuries and possible fatalities," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York. "This situation is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
Among the wide range of dangers inspectors listed were the risk of laceration, amputation, or crushing injuries; electrical hazards; fire and explosion hazards stemming from combustible dust; improper storage of flammable liquids; and insufficient monitoring of exmployees’ exposure to hexavalent chromium.
"While it is fortunate that no one was injured here, good luck is never an acceptable worker safeguard,” said Patrick Griffin, OSHA's area director for Rhode Island. “For the safety and well-being of its workers, this employer must take effective, ongoing action to prevent these hazards from recurring."
Here's how to improve the overall fall protection program and prepare returning workers to get back in the fall protection habit.
"The gravity of this type of hazard cannot be overstated," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's acting area director in Hartford, Conn. "The collapsing walls of a trench can crush or bury workers in seconds.”
An inspection earlier this year resulted in the St. Louis company receiving five repeat citations, mainly for problems involving its use of scaffolds, plus two other serious allegations.
“Each day, oilfield workers are exposed to any number of hazards, including falls, fires, and explosions,” said John Hermanson, OSHA regional administrator in Philadelphia. “This alliance further strengthens OSHA’s ongoing efforts to protect workers in this area.”
For occupational deaths on or after Aug. 1, the minimum compensation to be paid to family members is $310,000 in Hong Kong dollars, which is equivalent to about $40,000 in U.S. dollars.
Twenty-six health hazard evaluation investigators have visit the gulf region. This second interim report evaluated cases treated at a Venice, La., infirmary; June 8-10 offshore oil burns; and a barge oil vacuuming operation involving 18 barges moored together off Grand Isle, La.
An employee of one of the firms fell 20 feet when the second floor balcony he was standing on collapsed as he was attempting to jack up the third floor balcony. An inspection by OSHA's Manhattan area office found that the second floor balcony was overloaded, improperly constructed, and incapable of supporting its weight load.
Before the ANSI/ASSE Z359.7 standard, there was no person or entity an end user could turn to for compliance testing information on any piece of fall protection equipment.
An investigation found structural deficiencies on one of the crawler cranes the company maintained and operated, as well as electrical hazards throughout the shipyard; in all, the facility received 19 serious citations in areas of fall protection, machine guarding, plant maintenance, and fire safety, plus citations for repeat and other-than-serious offenses.
"This employer had no business conducting work inside the grain bins without taking protective measures to ensure that its employees were working in a safe environment," said OSHA Regional Administrator Charles Adkins.
Violations found at both stores include the company's failure to maintain exit routes, as well as walking and working surfaces that were free and unobstructed, to implement a hazard communication program, and to protect employees from electrical hazards.
A van from the Health and Safety Executive is making a two-week safety tour of major construction sites in the South East region through June 21.
Aston Villa, a top soccer club, has been assessed a total of $4,360 in fines and costs after admitting it violated Regulation 9(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
"The company's intentional disregard for its safety and health responsibilities put its workers at risk, and more egregiously, led to an unnecessary loss of life,” said Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.
The inspection was initiated under the agency's Construction Hazards Emphasis Program when an OSHA inspector observed employees working at heights of more than 14 feet without the use of fall protection.
"Falls are the leading cause of death in construction work, and employers must take all required steps to prevent and minimize this potentially deadly hazard," said Brenda Gordon, OSHA's area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts. "Safe working conditions must not and can never be a matter of luck."
The agency is seeking comment on, among other things, whether it should include an explicit reference to combustible dust or other hazardous material in the regulatory language of the final rule.