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

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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
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Illinois construction contractor faces $264K in proposed fines for again failing to protect employees from deadly fall hazards

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Illinois construction contractor faces $264K in proposed fines for again failing to protect employees from deadly fall hazards
NAPERVILLE, IL – An Illinois construction contractor – with a history of ignoring federal safety regulations – has again been found exposing workers to deadly fall hazards on a jobsite in Naperville.  Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration observed employees of United Custom Homes LLC of Oswego, Illinois, working without protective equipment at heights up to 20 feet on a residential home under construction on Aug. 23, 2023. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that of 1,056 construction workers who suffered fatal on-the-job injuries in 2022, 423 of them died in falls. “United Custom Homes continues to ignore federal safety regulations and endanger workers’ lives by exposing them to deadly fall hazards,” said OSHA Chicago South Area Director Jim Martineck in Tinley Park, Illinois. “Every employer has a legal obligation to provide a safe workplace, train workers and provide necessary equipment to keep them safe on the job. We will continue holding this employer accountable for their willing disregard of the law.”OSHA cited United Custom Homes for one repeat, one willful, one serious and one other-than-serious violations and assessed $264,143 in proposed penalties. Specifically, the violations cite the company’s failure to provide fall protection equipment or train employees in fall hazards, improper use of ladders and failure to recertify workers in the operation of powered industrial vehicles every three years, as required. The agency cited the company for similar violations seven previous times since 2015. United Custom Home currently owes $238,572 in unpaid previous OSHA penalties. 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 February 12, 2024 at 04:00AM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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