OSHA To Delay Electronic Submission For Worker Injury-Illness Logs

Injury-Illness logs submitted via Electronic Submission undergoes OSHA delayOn June 28th, 2017, OSHA recently published a proposed rule to delay the electronic submission deadline for worker injury-illness logs submissions, extending it from an previous deadline, to December 1st, 2017. One stipulation of the proposal is that OSHA will launch a website for employers, where they will submit their logs and related data, by August 1st, 2017. This proposed launch date for the website allows for employers to have a four-month run off period, where they can compile and submit their respective Form 300A information.

OSHA issued a previous ruling in May 2016 with anti-retaliation and electronic reporting provisions taking effect on December 1, 2016. This rule experienced several delays. The topic of electronic… Continue reading

OSHA Prevails in Citations Against Electric Company Appeal

A Citation Appeal by a Massachusetts electric company was upheld by a judge in recent rulings.Massachusetts-based Wayne J. Griffin Electric Inc. recently appealed multiple citations issued by the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The citation appeal violations were reviewed and presided over by an administrative law judge of the OSHA Review Commission. The judge found that neither of the two violations which were appealed were able to be reasonably overturned.

The incident which yielded the violations occurred in October of 2014, when a then-employee of Wayne J. Griffin Electric came into contact with energized equipment and was seriously injured, during installation of an electric substation at a New Hampshire work site. An investigation followed the incident and OSHA issued a serious citation in April of 2015, attaching a $14K… Continue reading

Fall-Protection Procedures Plague Repeat Offender

Fall-protection procedures Violations hit repeat offender.On December, 2016, the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued fall-protection procedures citations to Illinois-based roofing company, Redhawk Roofing Inc., for multiple safety hazards, including four repeated violations, at a Winnetka facility. For those violations, OSHA proposed a penalty of $63,494.

The OSHA investigation was prompted after Redhawk employees were observed working at heights up to 23 feet without adequate fall-protection, while roofing a residential home in Winnetka. Such practices violate OSHA guidelines for safe fall-protection procedures.

OSHA found that the following violations existed:

  • Failure to implement proper fall-protection
  • Improper rigging of established fall-protection systems
  • Failure to implement restrictions for workers, carrying loads up ladders.
  • Failure to implement adequate eye-protection for employees operating pneumatic nail… Continue reading

Trench Safety Questioned in South Dakota Incident Involving Serious Injury

Trench safety was lacking at a South Dakota site where a trench box collapsed.On January 9th, 2017, the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to South Dakota-based construction company, Kempf Construction Inc., for multiple violations involving trench safety. Following an October 26th, 2016 inspection, stemming from a trench-box collapse which resulted in the severe injury of a 40-year old equipment operator, OSHA found five (5) serious violations. For those violations, OSHA issued a proposed penalty of $40,538.

The violations occurred at a Brandon, South Dakota excavation site, where a Sioux Falls contractor was working in a 16-foot trench. During his work, a large amount of dirt fell into the trench box in which the man was positioned, and the trench collapsed upon him.… Continue reading

Excavation Safety Procedures Failure Cost NY Contractor $200,000 in Fines

Excavation safety lacking at New Jersey High School where contractor was finedFollowing a June 22, 2016 inspection, the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to New York-based general contractor, The Landtek Group Inc., a company that specializes in sports facility design and construction. OSHA determined that nine violations existed at the New Jersey work site, one willful and eight serious. Most revolved around excavation safety. For these violations, OSHA has proposed a penalty of $197,752.

The investigation took place, following a complaint, and found employees of The Landtek Group working in an unprotected 10-foot deep excavation at a suburban New Jersey high school. OSHA determined that no protective systems were in place to support excavation safety. As a result of the lack of proper protection… Continue reading

Silica Hazard Prompts OSHA to Cite Concrete Company

silica hazard cited by OSHA at repeat violator siteOn Jan 4th, 2017, the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to New Jersey-based concrete company, County Concrete Corporation, for multiple violations involving a silica hazard. These citations, including, one repeat and two failure-to-abate violations, come as the result of a July 19th, 2017 follow-up inspection. The follow-up pertains to a prior 2013 inspection, where the agency issued citations for 18 safety and health violations to County Concrete, totaling $153,900 in penalties. For those citations issued for the recent 2017 investigation, the proposed penalties are, $88,544.

OSHA cited County Concrete for a repeat violation, regarding a potential chemical health risk. County Concrete failed, for the second time in four years,… Continue reading

Repeat OSHA Violator Receives Multiple Citations

repeat osha violator slapped with multiple OSHA citationsRepeat OSHA Violator Hackensack Roofing, Co has been issued multiple citations by the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration  for one serious and three repeat safety violations. These violations were processed, following October 18th inspections of both the company’s East Rutherford and Wellington facilities, in compliance with the agency’s Local Emphasis Program, which focuses on reducing the number of fall-related injuries. For the violations observed and, in light of the company’s previous history with safety violations, (Hackensack Roofing was previously cited for similar violations in 2014) OSHA proposed a penalty of $112,487.

The agency was prompted to investigate the aforementioned facilities by an anonymous complaint, alleging fall-hazards, at the Wellington site, and after having… Continue reading

Well Flash Fire in North Dakota Investigated by OSHA

Well Flash Fire in North Dakota leads to OSHA fine of Over $25.000On December 15, 2016, the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued serious safety violations to oil well operator, XTO Energy, and two servicing companies, Most Wanted Well Service LLC and Sherwood Enterprises Inc., following a well flash fire that resulted in the death of a 52-year-old and the serious injury of three others at a Watford City, North Dakota well-site. These violations come after a June 18, 2016 investigation and yield results that show a failure to maintain chemical integrity during drill equipment repair, along with a failure to provide workers with adequate flame-retardant clothing. OSHA has proposed penalties totaling $24,942 for the respective offenses processed to all culpable parties involved.

The aforementioned incident… Continue reading

Lockout/Tagout Procedures Draw Scrutiny at Kerry Facilities

Lockout/tagout procedures failur leads to OSHA fines at Kelly facilities in IllinoisThe U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations to Ireland-based food and beverage company, Kerry Inc., for multiple violations involving lockout/tagout procedures at one of their Melrose Park, Illinois facilities. Kerry, a multi-billion-dollar company, operates facilities on six continents and employs more than 20,00 employees, worldwide. The company’s U.S. headquarters are based in Beloit, Wisconsin.

On Dec. 5th, 2016, the agency processed citations for one repeated and two serious violations, stemming from an injury where an employee’s forearm became stuck in a machine and was fractured in multiple places. This injury came only six weeks after a previous employee suffered an amputation at the same facility, from a similar injury. In both… Continue reading

Lockout/Tagout Protocol Procedures Missing in Amputation Accidents

Lockout/tagout Protocol Procedures Cited in Amputation AccidentsThe U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations to Ireland-based food and beverage company, Kerry Inc., for multiple violations involving lockout/tagout protocol at one of their Melrose Park, Illinois facilities. Kerry, a multi-billion-dollar company, operates facilities on six continents and employs more than 20,00 employees, worldwide. The company’s U.S. headquarters are based in Beloit, Wisconsin.

On Dec. 5th, 2016, the agency processed citations for one repeated and two serious violations, stemming from an injury where an employee’s forearm became stuck in a machine and was fractured in multiple places. This injury came only six weeks after a previous employee suffered an amputation at the same facility, from a similar injury. In both… Continue reading