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Monday, May 21, 2007
Contractor Faces Maximum Allowed Fine For Cave-in Hazard
I decided to post the following OSHA press release because cave-in injuries and deaths are commom, yet easy to prevent. Even after being cited twice in the past this contractor continued to put workers in dangerous trenches. I don't know their reasons, although my feeling is they are economic... in any case there is no excuse for risking your employees' lives this way. Your comments are welcome.
Portsmouth, R.I., contractor faces maximum allowed fine of $70,000 from U.S. Labor Department's OSHA for cave-in hazard at Newport, R.I., site
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A Portsmouth, R.I., contractor with a history of trenching safety violations faces $70,000 in proposed fines – the maximum allowed – from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for an unguarded trench at a Newport, R.I., worksite.
An OSHA inspection of a water main installation project located at the intersection of Parker and Bellevue Avenues found an East Coast Construction employee working in a straight-walled, six-foot deep trench that lacked any protection against a cave-in of its sidewalls.
"All excavations five feet or deeper must be protected against collapse, a requirement this employer knows well, having been cited three times previously for lack of cave-in protection" said Patrick Griffin, OSHA's area director in Rhode Island. "This safeguard is essential since the sidewalls of a trench can collapse and bury workers within seconds. There's no real margin of error and no good excuse for allowing an employee to work in an unprotected trench."
As a result, East Coast Construction was cited for one alleged willful violation of safety standards. OSHA has proposed the maximum allowed fine since the company was cited by OSHA in 2005 and 2006 for similar hazards at worksites in Portsmouth, R.I. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
Excavation safety is a top priority for OSHA and the agency's inspectors will stop and open an inspection on the spot if they observe an apparently unprotected trench. Detailed information on excavation safety, including a trenching "Quick Card" and an interactive eTool, is available on OSHA's Web site at www.osha.gov/SLTC/constructiontrenching/index.html.
Portsmouth, R.I., contractor faces maximum allowed fine of $70,000 from U.S. Labor Department's OSHA for cave-in hazard at Newport, R.I., site
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A Portsmouth, R.I., contractor with a history of trenching safety violations faces $70,000 in proposed fines – the maximum allowed – from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for an unguarded trench at a Newport, R.I., worksite.
An OSHA inspection of a water main installation project located at the intersection of Parker and Bellevue Avenues found an East Coast Construction employee working in a straight-walled, six-foot deep trench that lacked any protection against a cave-in of its sidewalls.
"All excavations five feet or deeper must be protected against collapse, a requirement this employer knows well, having been cited three times previously for lack of cave-in protection" said Patrick Griffin, OSHA's area director in Rhode Island. "This safeguard is essential since the sidewalls of a trench can collapse and bury workers within seconds. There's no real margin of error and no good excuse for allowing an employee to work in an unprotected trench."
As a result, East Coast Construction was cited for one alleged willful violation of safety standards. OSHA has proposed the maximum allowed fine since the company was cited by OSHA in 2005 and 2006 for similar hazards at worksites in Portsmouth, R.I. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
Excavation safety is a top priority for OSHA and the agency's inspectors will stop and open an inspection on the spot if they observe an apparently unprotected trench. Detailed information on excavation safety, including a trenching "Quick Card" and an interactive eTool, is available on OSHA's Web site at www.osha.gov/SLTC/constructiontrenching/index.html.
posted by Steve Hudgik - Go to this Workplace Safety Post |
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