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| Occupational Safety & Health Administration | ||||||
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OSHA News Release
2004 - 04/14/2004 - OSHA Cites Schenectady Contractor Following Fatal Cave-In |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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Region 2 News Release: 04-456-NEW /BOS 2004-081 Wednesday, April 14, 2004 Contact: Ted Fitzgerald Office: (617) 565-2075 OSHA Cites Schenectady Contractor Following Fatal Cave-In ALBANY, N.Y. A fatal cave-in at a Colonie, N.Y., jobsite has resulted in citations and $17,100 in fines against the deceased worker's employer from the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). JRP Enterprises, Inc., of 1540 Van Antwerp Rd. in Schenectady, was cited for three serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act following an OSHA inspection initiated after a Nov. 25, 2003, cave-in. On that day, a JRP employee was killed when he was caught and buried in the collapse of an 11-foot-deep excavation on Harmony Court in Colonie. OSHA's inspection found that the excavation lacked protective systems designed to prevent its collapse. In addition, JRP did not have a competent person on site with the knowledge and authority to identify and correct trenching hazards and the company also failed to properly train employees to recognize trenching hazards. "OSHA standards require that all trenches five feet or deeper must be protected against collapse," said John Tomich, OSHA's Albany area director. "Trenches can collapse suddenly and with great force, burying workers beneath tons of soil before they have a chance to escape. A combination of effective collapse protection, worker training and the presence of a competent person on site would help prevent accidents such as this one." JRP Enterprises, Inc., accepted the citations, agreed to correct all hazards and will pay a fine of $17,100. OSHA's Albany Area Office, located at 401 New Karner Rd, conducted the inspection. Its telephone number is (518) 464-4338. The Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting the health and safety of America's workers. In fiscal year 2002, the most recent year for which data has been published, there was a 6.6 percent decline in work-related fatalities in the U.S. In FY 2003, OSHA conducted almost 40,000 inspections, and more than half focused on high-hazard industries. For more information visit www.osha.gov. # # #
U.S. Labor Department 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 at (202) 693-7765 or TTY (202) 693-7755. |
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OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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