OSHA Fines Top $280,000 for Power Plant Contractors
Employers from five states are cited for a variety of hazards in Berlin, N.H.
OSHA has fined five subcontractors and one general contractor working on the construction of a power plant—The Berlin Power Plant in Berlin, N.H. The contractors allegedly violated 31 safety rules and face up to $280,880 in total proposed fines, according to a press release from OSHA.
The inspections that determined the fines have been ongoing since March. The willful, serious, and repeat violations include assembling and using cranes on unstable ground, exposing workers to arc flash and blast hazards, not performing air monitoring, not keeping work areas clear of debris, exposure to live wiring, exposing workers to scaffold collapses, and more. One willful violation by the general contractor was for allowing a worker with facial hair to wear a tight-fitting respirator while removing paint containing lead. This was classified as a willful violation because facial hair can prohibit a respirator from properly working.
The companies cited in the violations are general contractor Babcock & Wilcox Construction Co. from Barberton, Ohio; Mascaro Construction Co. of Pittsburgh; Mardo Masonry of Mt. Morris, Pa.; Northeast Utilities Enterprises, Inc. of Lewiston, Maine; Vaillancourt Electrical Service of Berlin, N.H.; and Virginia Transformer Corp. of Roanoke, Va.