The stubborn refusal of a construction company to protect its workers has earned it the title of a serial violator. This was reported by the regional administrator of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Pennsylvania. Inspections at three of the company’s construction sites — one in Perkasie and two in another state — resulted in 20 citations for safety violations that can lead to employees being injured on the job.
Inspectors found that workers were not provided with safety training related to fall hazards. Unaddressed hazards were identified on scaffolds, and workers were not issued with fall protection equipment. The company is accused of failure to assess the construction sites for fire and fall hazards, and it also failed to implement a written program for hazard communication.
Some of the citations issued included the lack of proper ladders to provide safe access to high areas. Fire extinguishers were not available, and uncovered holes exposed workers to 6-foot falls. OSHA says 23 inspections were carried out at construction sites under the control of this company over the past year, and, in 16 of those investigations, citations for similar hazards were issued.
How workers can be expected to perform at their best when there are constant threats of being injured on the job is unfathomable. Victims of workplace accidents may find comfort in knowing that financial relief is available through the Pennsylvania workers’ compensation insurance system. Medical expenses are typically covered by the program’s benefits, along with compensation that is based on the injured worker’s average wage per week, which is designed to make up a portion of the person’s lost wages.
Source: forconstructionpros.com, “OSHA Fines NJ Residential Contractor for Continuing to Ignore Fall Hazards“, April 11, 2016