OSHA issued eight willful citations to the company for its failure to provide fall protection in hoisting areas and on low-sloped roofs, failing to cover skylight openings to prevent falls, and not training employees about fall hazards.
The prime-time Telemundo series "Pecados Ajenos" broadcast the first in a series of episodes last night highlighting solutions to common construction falls.
The ANSI/ASSE A10.19-2008 standard is one of a series of voluntary consensus standards that focus on construction and demolition operations.
Until further notice, a Buildings Department inspector must be present on a construction site whenever a tower crane is raised or lowered in New York City.
One of the 10 showed how better sizing of fall harnesses could reduce injury risks of construction workers.
"The same hazard recurring in multiple locations points to a systemic problem with the company's safety program that must be addressed before employees are hurt or killed," said Brenda Gordon, director of OSHA's Braintree Area Office.
A retired contractor complained to city building officials days before the collapse that he believed the crane was not properly braced, but an inspector visited and said it met regulations, the New York Daily News reported Sunday.
This is a victory for the American Society of Safety Engineers, secretariat of the A10.40 standard.
Employers must report a fatal accident within seven days and an injury accident within 14 days to the Commissioner of Labour.
Numerous safety organizations have filed critical comments about the proposed standard, but the big construction union praised it, for the most part.
About one-third of inspected sites were operating so poorly in February that inspectors stopped work there, the agency's chief said.
A workshop on the new standard will be held at the Marriott Anaheim Hotel on April 8, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m; in addition, a training class, Assessment of Vapor Intrusion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions, will now be held on a regular basis throughout the United States.
The new law will take effect April 6, so the Health and Safety Executive wants employers to be prepared.
Although the concept of proactively creating safe construction sites is widely agreed upon, achieving this reality has been traditionally lacking in execution. By combining the knowledge of professionals in both the construction and design facets of a project, safety can be enhanced before crews ever break ground. Doing this will yield a positive impact on not only worker safety, but also quality and productivity. Costs are lowered, task performance is improved, and life-threatening work hazards are reduced.
"The collective expertise of OSHA and SIA can create a significant impact on the safety and health of men and women working in construction," said OSHA's Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., commenting on the alliance announced today.
"This employer ignored safety and health rules that could have prevented the tragic death of this employee," said Dean McDaniel, OSHA's regional administrator in Dallas.
The recalled ladders are Type I, IA, or II extension ladders with fiberglass rails and "D" shaped aluminum rungs. The extension or "fly" section can fail to lock, the manufacturer says.
OSHA recently released Preventing Skin Problems from Working with Portland Cement, a new guidance document created to educate employers and employees about effective ways to prevent skin-related injuries in the cement and cement-related industries.
Its comment deadline is a week away, and the ones posted so far complain it is confusing, unneeded, and burdensome.
OSHA announced in yesterday's Federal Register that nominations are being accepted for persons to serve on the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH). The committee was established under section 107(e) of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 3704(d)(4)) to advise the Secretary of Labor on formulating construction safety and health standards and policy matters that arise in carrying out these responsibilities.