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OSHA News Release
2003 - 04/08/2003 - Scaffolding Hazards at Slidell, La., Work Site Bring OSHA Citations And Fines Totaling $76,800 |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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Region 6 News Release: OSHA-03-47 Tues., April 8, 2003 Contact: Diana Petterson or Elizabeth Todd Phone: (214)767-4776, Ext. 222 or 221 Scaffolding Hazards at Slidell, La., Work Site Bring OSHA Citations And Fines Totaling $76,800 B.R. Brick & Masonry Inc. headquartered in Houston, Texas BATON ROUGE, La. -- A Houston, Texas-based masonry contractor's alleged failure to protect employees from falls and other scaffold-related hazards at a Louisiana construction site has resulted in proposed penalties of $76,800 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. B.R. Brick & Masonry Inc. was cited with eight alleged "repeat" safety violations following an inspection conducted as part of an OSHA program aimed at preventing fall hazards in the construction industry. The inspection began Nov. 14 at a site in Slidell, La. The company employs about 70 workers company-wide. About six employees worked at the Slidell site laying out a concrete block wall for a shopping center. "OSHA standards for scaffold safety are designed to protect workers from falls. B.R. Brick & Masonry has been cited previously for fall hazards, but chose instead to continue to expose employees to fall hazards," said David Doucet, OSHA's assistant area director in Baton Rouge. The alleged repeat violations were for failing to protect employees working on scaffolding from falling; failing to provide a ladder or other approved point of access to the scaffold; failing to ensure that brackets used to support workers are not also used to support equipment; failing to have a competent person conduct inspections of the job site and scaffolding; failing to initiate or maintain a safety program to comply with OSHA construction safety standards; failing to adequately train employees working on a scaffold in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions; and failing to adequately train employees who erect, disassemble, move and inspect scaffolds. A repeat violation is proposed when this same OSHA standard or a like standard has been violated within the last three years. The company has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the Baton Rouge area director, or to contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Employers and employees with questions about workplace safety and health standards may call the Baton Rouge OSHA area office at (225) 298-5458. OSHA's toll-free hotline may be used to report workplace accidents, fatalities, or situations posing imminent danger to workers. The number is (800) 321-6742. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America's workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. ### U.S. Labor Department news releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. |
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