Construction Firm Faces $56,000 Fine for Fall Hazards in Pa.
OSHA has cited White Horse Construction of Parkersburg, Pa., with two alleged willful violations for exposing workers to fall hazards on a Limerick, Pa., jobsite. Penalties total $56,000. The agency initiated its inspection on Jan. 28 as part of its regional emphasis program focused on fall hazards at construction sites.
Investigators observed employees working without adequate fall protection on platforms as high as 20 feet. The company has been cited for failing to secure a platform and provide fall protection to employees engaged in work on a roof and on ladder jack scaffolds.
"Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry," said Jean Kulp, director of OSHA's Allentown Area Office. "It is vital that the company eliminate these hazards to ensure the safety of its employees."
Detailed information on scaffold hazards and safe work practices, including an interactive e-Tool, is available online at www.osha.gov/SLTC/scaffolding/index.html. Detailed information about fall hazards and safeguards also is available on OSHA's website at www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/construction.html.
The investigation was conducted by OSHA's Allentown Office. To report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-6742.
The company 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 proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.