US Department of Labor investigation finds Chicago construction employer exposed workers to continued safety hazards, proposes $265K in penalties

-
US Department of Labor investigation finds Chicago construction employer exposed workers to continued safety hazards, proposes $265K in penalties CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Calumet City-based residential construction and carpentry employer after two separate investigations into its continued failure to provide fall protection for workers. The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated two worksites operated by Martin Araujo – doing business as Araujo Construction Corp. – and found that carpenters and general construction laborers were installing roof rafters and roof sheeting without fall protection, exposing them to falls of up to 25 feet. OSHA cited Araujo Construction with two willful violations for not providing fall protection, while working from heights during residential construction at the two worksites. OSHA also cited the employer with nine repeat safety violations for failing to provide head and eye protection, l...
Post a Comment

US Department of Labor recovers $33K in back wages for five workers after investigation revealed Apex company violated federal wage laws

-
US Department of Labor recovers $33K in back wages for five workers after investigation revealed Apex company violated federal wage laws
APEX, NC – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $33,230 in back wages for five employees working on a federally funded construction project in Fayetteville. Investigators found the employer failed to pay workers all wages earned as required by the Davis Bacon Act. Investigators with the department’s Wage and Hour Division found Apex Plumbing and Heating Inc. – operating as APH – violated federal law when the employer paid employees the prevailing wage for sheet metal workers even though they performed plumbers’ work. The employer paid less than the prevailing wage and benefits than the workers would have earned if paid correctly. In addition, APH failed to comply with Executive Order 13706, Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors, by failing to allow employees to accrue and use paid sick leave. Record keeping violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act were also found. “Prevailing wage laws on government contracts put competing contractors on equal footing and protect the wages and earned leave of hard-working tradespeople,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Richard Blaylock in Raleigh, North Carolina. “This case should serve as a reminder for other employers that different trades require different wage rates if Davis Bacon regulations apply. When a worker performs different types of work, the employers must record the number of hours worked in each job classification and pay worker the correct prevailing rate for each type of work performed.” The Wage and Hour Division’s investigation reviewed APH’s pay practices for work conducted work at Fayetteville VA Medical Center in Fayetteville. APH is headquartered in Apex and performs plumbing, heating and ductwork in large-scale residential and commercial developments, military installations and Veterans Affairs facilities across the eastern region of the U.S. For information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the division, including compliance assistance toolkits, contact the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) or learn more about the Wage and Hour Division on its website, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division. Callers can receive information confidentially in more than 200 languages.

Published at December 26, 2021 at 04:00PM
Read more at https://dol.gov

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Settlement affirms willful OSHA violations, $215K penalties, against contractors for fall hazards at multiple New Jersey work sites

-
Settlement affirms willful OSHA violations, $215K penalties, against contractors for fall hazards at multiple New Jersey work sites HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ – Two related North Jersey construction contractor companies – Primetime Construction LLC and its subsidiary Primetime Contractors LLC of Paterson – have agreed to pay $215,000 in penalties and undertake several significant safety measures to resolve numerous safety violations found at five Paterson construction worksites in 2021, as part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration initially cited Primetime Contractors LLC for four willful violations that occurred in September 2021 after agency inspectors found the employer exposing workers to fall hazards by repeatedly failing to ensure construction site stairways at company worksites had handrails and stair rails, even after being counseled by OSHA about the relevant safety requirements. Primetime Contrac...
Read more

Statement by US Secretary of Labor Su on July jobs report

-
Statement by US Secretary of Labor Su on July jobs report WASHINGTON – Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su issued the following statement on the July 2023 Employment Situation report:  “Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 187,000 jobs in the month of July — and added an average of 218,000 jobs per month over the past three months — continuing the steady and stable growth that is bringing economic security to workers and families across the country. The unemployment rate ticked down to 3.5 percent, continuing the longest period of under 4-percent unemployment in over 50 years. Healthcare, social assistance, construction, and financial activities all gained jobs in July.  “This jobs report is the latest evidence that the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda is expanding pathways to the middle class and leaving no one behind. The solid job market continues to deliver employment and earnings opportunities for ...
Read more

Proper planning, safeguards could have prevented New Bedford dock collapse, US Department of Labor inspection finds

-
Proper planning, safeguards could have prevented New Bedford dock collapse, US Department of Labor inspection finds BRAINTREE, MA – A Connecticut marine and heavy construction contractor could have prevented the October 2023 collapse of a 200-foot section of pier on Hervey Tichon Avenue in New Bedford — which plunged five workers into the Acushnet River and injured two of them — by adhering to legally required safety standards, a U.S. Department of Labor inspection has determined. Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors found that Mohawk Northeast Inc. of Plantsville did not determine if the pier’s walking and working surfaces had the strength and structural integrity to support employees safely with the weight of materials and equipment on it. OSHA issued the company a willful citation and assessed $161,323 in proposed penalties.The agency also proposed an additional $53,004 in penalties for four serious violations related to potential fall, d...
Read more