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U.S. Department of Labor | |
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| Occupational Safety & Health Administration | ||||||
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OSHA News Release
2003 - 12/22/2003 - Jacksonville Contractor Exposes Workers to Electrical Hazards, Receives OSHA Citations, Penalties |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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Region 4 News Release Release Number: 03-932-ATL (297) Mon., Dec. 22, 2003 Contact: Jeff Romeo Jo Anne Burgoyne Phone: (904) 232-2895 (404) 562-2076 Jacksonville Contractor Exposes Workers to Electrical Hazards, Receives OSHA Citations, Penalties
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-- The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited A.J. Johns, Inc., for allegedly failing to protect workers from electrical hazards at a St. Augustine worksite. The agency is proposing $52,500 in total penalties. On July 9, company employees were digging a trench and laying pipe near County Road 210. A management official reportedly replaced the operator of an excavator because the worker was nervous about operating the machinery near overhead power lines. The excavator, operated by a new driver, came in contact with the power lines, causing two workers to receive serious electrical injuries. "There are well-established safety standards covering electrical hazards that must be strictly followed," said James D. Borders, OSHA's area director in Jacksonville. "This accident could have been prevented if management officials had heeded the warnings of the power company, the developer who hired them and employees on site." OSHA issued one willful citation with a proposed penalty of $49,000 for operating equipment within 16 feet of a 230,000-volt overhead power line and exposing employees to electrical hazards. The agency issues a willful citation when a company shows intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. The company also received a serious citation with a proposed penalty of $3,500 for failing to provide employees working in an eight-foot-deep trench with adequate protection from cave-ins, such as using a trench box or properly shoring or sloping the trench walls. Because electrocutions and trench cave-ins are major causes of accidents in the Southeast, OSHA and DOL have developed programs to address the hazards. The programs include training, outreach and compliance assistance as well as strong and fair enforcement when employers expose workers to these dangerous conditions. The company has 15 working days to contest the OSHA citations and proposed penalties before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA's Jacksonville area office located in the Ribault Building, Room 227, 1851 Executive Center Drive; phone: (904) 232-2895. 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.dol ### |
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OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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