$108K Fine Issued to Stucco Contractor for Fall Hazards
Serious violations include a scaffold that was not secured to the structure or supported on an adequate firm foundation and employees climbing across braces to access the scaffold.
OSHA has cited DD Stucco and Renovation LLC for six safety—including two willful—violations related to fall hazards at a Mountain Lakes, N.J., worksite. OSHA opened an inspection in November 2011 as part of its local emphasis program on falls and proposed a total of $108,240 in penalties.
"This company is risking worker injury and possible death by failing to provide proper fall protection," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Parsippany Area Office, which conducted the inspection. "Employers need to know that falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry, and proper precautions must be taken."
The willful violations carry a $92,400 penalty and are due to a lack of fall protection for employees working on a scaffold that was not fully planked.
Four serious violations, which carry a $15,840 penalty, are for a scaffold that was not secured to the structure or supported on an adequate firm foundation, unstable objects used to support the scaffold, and employees climbing across braces to access the scaffold.
"Fall hazards involving these and other safety issues can be avoided when an illness and injury prevention program is developed and implemented and management and workers proactively identify and eliminate hazardous conditions," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York.
DD Stucco and Renovation is headquartered in Clifton, N.J., and had three workers at the Mountain Lakes site.