Department of Labor alleges subcontractor knowingly exposed employees to asbestos hazards during former Waukegan hospital demolition

-
Department of Labor alleges subcontractor knowingly exposed employees to asbestos hazards during former Waukegan hospital demolition WAUKEGAN, IL – Alleging that K.L.F. Enterprises — a Chicago demolition subcontractor — knew it was exposing its employees and others to the serious dangers of asbestos at a Waukegan work site, the U.S. Department of Labor has cited the company for 36 safety and health violations after a federal investigation. In November 2023, investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened a complaint inspection after they observed K.L.F. employees not wearing protective equipment amid piles of debris and steel I-beams during structural demolition of the eight-story former Lakes Behavioral Health hospital. OSHA determined that K.L.F. continued demolition activities — disturbing and removing asbestos used to fireproof the building’s interior — despite recognizing the debris piles outside were likely asbestos-laden. The company did
Post a Comment

US Department of Labor cites 3 Jacksonville contractors for exposing workers to potentially deadly cave-in hazards at Middleburg worksite

-
US Department of Labor cites 3 Jacksonville contractors for exposing workers to potentially deadly cave-in hazards at Middleburg worksite
Employers:    KBT Contracting Corp.                         5105 Blanding Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32210                        Aquino Construction Inc.                         11465 Branan Field Road, Jacksonville, FL 32222                        Darmick LLC                        1804 Bartram Circle East, Jacksonville, FL 32207Investigation Findings: On July 27, 2023, a U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigator observed three Aquino Construction employees working at a Middleburg worksite in an unprotected trench, about 8-feet-deep, 55-feet-long and 9-feet wide installing casing around an existing sewer line. The trench lacked shoring or a trench box to prevent cave-ins. The investigator also saw a superintendent employed by KBT Contracting Corp. — the project’s general contractor — standing on the trench’s edge and the owner of Darmick LLC in an excavator, watching the employees working.Issued citations and proposed penalties: OSHA cited all three employers with one willful violation each for exposing employees to cave-in hazards by failing to shore the trench or use a protective system such as a trench box. The agency also cited each employer with a serious violation for placing spoil piles on the leading edge of the trench, exposing workers to struck-by hazards. OSHA proposed $65,182 in penalties for KBT Contracting Corp. and $33,261 in proposed penalties each to Aquino Construction and Darmick. Background: In 2022, OSHA announced enhanced nationwide enforcement and additional oversight to support its national emphasis program on preventing injuries related to trenching and excavation collapses. The agency’s trenching and excavation webpage provides additional information on trenching hazards and solutions, including a video on tips for safe excavations. Among the industry’s most lethal hazards, unsafe trenching led to 39 construction workers suffering fatal injuries in 2022.Quote: “Trenching hazards are well known throughout the construction industry and fatal accidents can occur in the blink of an eye. Supervisors and owners of companies that send workers into trenches while bypassing live-saving precautions show a willful indifference to placing their employees in life-threatening situations,” said OSHA Area Office Director Scott Tisdale in Jacksonville, Florida. “Fortunately, we were able to correct the hazards before a cave-in occurred.”

Published at November 02, 2023 at 05:00PM
Read more at https://dol.gov

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

US Department of Labor, MEJA Construction Inc. to promote safety during construction of Clayton County’s Forest Park Middle School

-
US Department of Labor, MEJA Construction Inc. to promote safety during construction of Clayton County’s Forest Park Middle School Participants:  U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationMEJA Construction Inc.Georgia Institute of Technology On-Site Safety and Health Consultation ProgramWhat:  Strategic safety partnershipBackground: The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and MEJA Construction Inc. signed a strategic partnership to promote safety and health practices to help in preventing worker injuries and reducing exposure to hazards during construction of Forest Park Middle School in Clayton County, Georgia. The initiative will also encourage contractors to develop and implement safety and health programs, and provide safety and health training to employees, employers and supervisors to reduce the number of injuries and illnesses, increase safety and health training, reduce the overexposure of workers to health and safety hazard
Read more

US Department of Labor kicks off 9th annual National Apprenticeship Week

-
US Department of Labor kicks off 9th annual National Apprenticeship Week WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the start of National Apprenticeship Week, an annual event that includes plans in 2023 for more than 1,300 events and proclamations nationwide, united by the theme, “Registered Apprenticeship: Superhighway to Good Jobs.”Through Nov. 19, this year’s 9th annual event will bring employers, industry associations, labor organizations, community-based organizations, workforce partners, education providers and government leaders together to showcase the importance of Registered Apprenticeship in improving job quality and expanding U.S. workers’ access to good-paying jobs in many industries. “National Apprenticeship Week recognizes the Biden-Harris administration’s historic investments in Registered Apprenticeships and their vital importance to our nation’s workforce infrastructure,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “This week, we commend our partners — in
Read more

Minnesota construction contractor faces $1.8M in federal penalties for exposing workers to trenching hazards for the 4th time since 2019

-
Minnesota construction contractor faces $1.8M in federal penalties for exposing workers to trenching hazards for the 4th time since 2019 MINOT, ND – Despite signing a 2021 settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor that included a promise to protect its employees from potentially deadly trenching and excavation hazards, a Minnesota construction contractor was again found endangering employees in June 2023 as they replaced a residential water main and 20 separate curb stop valves for house connections in Minot. In April 2021, Wagner Construction Inc. pledged to improve its safety procedures and training in a comprehensive agreement with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to resolve violations of federal workplace safety regulations after agency inspectors cited the company at three North Dakota job sites in 2019 and 2020 for exposing employees to excavation hazards.The agreement included the company’s commitment to make significant changes, inclu
Read more