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

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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...
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US Department of Labor finds Alabama concrete contractor failed to protect 65-year-old employee fatally struck by 4-ton container near Tuscaloosa

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US Department of Labor finds Alabama concrete contractor failed to protect 65-year-old employee fatally struck by 4-ton container near Tuscaloosa
MOUNDVILLE, AL – A U.S. Department of Labor workplace safety investigation has found an industrial concrete construction contractor failed to follow required safety procedures that could have prevented a 65-year-old worker from suffering fatal injuries when a shipping container weighing more than four tons fell and struck the employee at a job site near Tuscaloosa.Investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration learned the employee of Ballard Contractors Inc. in Moundville was guiding an 8,575-pound shipping container into place when one of the chains used to lift the box snapped. OSHA determined the company violated federal regulations by doing the following: Failing to ensure rigging equipment was rated properly to handle the container’s weight. Permitting an employee to work near or beneath a moving load while moving a container.Allowing workers to use steel chain slings and a four-way chain lift without identification plates attached or load ratings indicated. Failing to perform periodic inspections of slings. Not ensuring fall protection was in place while workers connected rigging equipment to an overhead crane at heights of 11 feet.“Ballard Contractors failed in its legal responsibility to provide its employees with a safe work environment, especially when it comes to dealing with the serious dangers of handling heavy loads,” said OSHA Area Office Director Joel Batiz in Birmingham, Alabama. “OSHA standards exist to help prevent tragedies such as this from occurring. Employers must recognize their duty to ensure the safety of their employees.”Ballard Contractors Inc. received citations for eight violations related to its failures to protect workers from fall, struck-by and crushed-by hazards.  “We urge employers to contact OSHA to help them fully understand their obligations,” added Batiz. “Our team has many resources to guide them in developing safety plans, identifying workplace hazards and doing all that can be done to make sure employees end their shifts safely.”Established in 1986, Ballard Contractors Inc. specializes in commercial and industrial concrete construction and provides services that include slab on grade, foundations and tilt-up placements; exterior paving; curb and gutter construction, as well as structural concrete work and saw cutting. The company entered into an informal settlement agreement with OSHA, resolving the citations and penalties.Learn more about OSHA. 

Published at July 09, 2024 at 05:00AM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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