US Department of Labor investigation finds Birmingham construction company willfully exposed workers to trench collapse at Bessemer worksite

US Department of Labor investigation finds Birmingham construction company willfully exposed workers to trench collapse at Bessemer worksite BIRMINGHAM – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found numerous safety hazards at a civil construction employer’s worksite following a trench collapse in Jefferson County. The department’sOccupational Safety and Health Administration investigators found CB&A Construction LLC workers removed and installed drain pipes for Jefferson County under a suspended load, without hard hats, and at the edge of an excavation that lacked protective restraints.OSHA cited CB&A Construction with a willful violation and proposed $170,145 in penalties.CB&A Construction LLC has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Penalties and citations may...

Federal workplace safety inspectors find Illinois contractor continues to expose roofing workers to deadly fall hazards, despite 2019, 2022 violations

Federal workplace safety inspectors find Illinois contractor continues to expose roofing workers to deadly fall hazards, despite 2019, 2022 violations
GREENVILLE, IL – Federal workplace safety inspectors found a Fairmont City roofing contractor continuing to endanger employees to deadly fall hazards by not providing them fall protection, as required by federal law. Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration observed six roofers removing asphalt shingles on a commercial building in Greenville on April 18, 2023, at heights up to 12 feet without fall protection, and opened an investigation. OSHA found Juan Zuniga Ramos – operator of JZ Exteriors and Repairs LLC – failed to provide fall protection and train workers on its use. Inspectors learned the company also lacked an accident prevention program and did not have a competent person to inspect work sites for hazards. Inspectors also noted the contractor failed to use ladders properly, exposed workers to electrical hazards by not de-energizing circuits and did not have a fire extinguisher available in case of an emergency. The inspection’s findings are similar to fall protection violations for which OSHA cited Ramos at a St. Charles, Missouri, worksite in 2019 and, more recently, at a Highland job site in 2022. JZ Exteriors and Repairs LLC currently owes $31,163 in unpaid OSHA penalties.  OSHA cited JZ Exteriors and Repairs LLC for five repeat and four serious violations and one other-than-serious safety violation after the Greenville inspection. The agency has proposed $66,711 in additional penalties. “Several workplace safety inspections show that Juan Zuniga Ramos is willing to put his employees in danger by exposing them to the real possibility of serious and sometimes fatal fall injuries,” said OSHA Area Director Aaron Priddy in Fairview Heights, Illinois. “Falls are a leading cause of death in the construction industry, and yet JZ Exteriors and Repairs has ignored warnings given and fines assessed in OSHA inspections in 2019 and 2022. Ramos must fulfill his responsibility to ensure his workers’ safety before tragedy strikes.” OSHA’s stop falls website offers safety information and video presentations in English and Spanish to teach workers about fall hazards and proper safety procedures. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Learn more about OSHA.

Published at June 05, 2023 at 05:00PM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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