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| Occupational Safety & Health Administration | ||||||
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OSHA News Release
2004 - 07/26/2004 - San Antonio Firm Cited $89,100 for Repeat Safety Hazards |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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Region 6 News Release: OSHA-04-1401-DAL Monday, July 26, 2004 Contact: Diana Petterson or Elizabeth Todd Phone: (214) 767-4776, ext. 222 or 221 San Antonio Firm Cited $89,100 for Repeat Safety Hazards SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Failure to provide a safe work environment has resulted in citations and proposed penalties of $89,100 against San Antonio Lath & Plaster Inc., by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). "San Antonio Lath & Plaster has a history of violating the OSHA scaffolding standards and placing their employees in a hazardous working environment," said OSHA's Austin Area Director Paul Brantley. "The high monetary penalties for these violations are the result of repeat violations associated with the building and use of scaffolds." The $89,100 in total penalties is for two separate San Antonio worksite inspections conducted on Jan. 28, 2004 and Feb. 17, 2004 with fines of $83,100 and $6,000, respectively. The company received four serious, one other-than-serious and six repeat citations for alleged violations during the Jan. 28 inspection and two serious citations for alleged violations during the Feb. 17 inspection. The serious citations, during both inspections, addressed safety standards involving scaffold hazards, fall hazards from aerial lifts and failing to provide safety training for employees. The repeat violations include failing to: provide a ladder for safe scaffold access, wear hard hats, install guardrails and install cross bracing to provide structural support for the scaffold. The other-than-serious violation was for failing to maintain injury and illness records. OSHA issues a repeat citation when an employer is cited for a hazard for which it has been cited in the past. Serious violations are those in which there is substantial probability of death or serious physical harm from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known. Specializing in stucco, lath and plaster applications, the San Antonio-based company, which operates in various states, has had about 13 inspections since 1995. Eleven of the inspections resulted in citations for scaffold violations. In May 2004, the company was cited $230,100 from inspections at work sites in Wichita and Lawrence, Kan. The company has contested the citations. The company has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to comply, request a conference with the OSHA area director in Austin, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Employers and employees with questions regarding workplace safety and health standards can call the San Antonio OSHA area office at (512)-916-5783, or OSHA's toll-free hotline number at 1-800-321-6742 to report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers. OSHA's role is to ensure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. ### U.S. Labor Department (DOL) releases are accessible on the Internet at <http://www.dol.gov>. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call (202) 693-7765 or TTY (202) 693-7755. DOL is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance. |
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