Company Cited for Fall Hazards After Worker's Death
OSHA has issued fines to Smiley Plaster Co. in Georgia and placed it in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
Georgia-based Smiley Plaster Co. has been cited by OSHA for fall hazards following the death of a worker in September 2013, according to OSHA. The worker fell 19 feet from scaffolding while he was applying stucco to a building undergoing renovations at East Georgia State College in Swainsboro, Ga. A subsequent OSHA investigation found the company at fault for five safety violations.
The OSHA investigation resulted in one willful violation as part of the investigation for the company's alleged failure to provide fall protection to employees working on scaffolds above 10 feet. The company has been put in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, and it also received violations for allegedly failing to report the fatality within eight hours of its occurrence, failing to provide adequate scaffolding foundation, failing to brace the scaffolding, and failing to provide debris protection for those working on the scaffolding. The company faces $57,000 in proposed fines.