Region 2 News Release:   NY 170
August 7, 2001
Contact: Chester J. Fultz
Phone: 212-337-2319

OSHA CITES FOUR CONTRACTORS AT SECAUCUS, N.J. CONSTRUCTION SITE, ALLEGING WILLFUL AND SERIOUS VIOLATIONS WITH $102,700 IN PENALTIES

The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a Wilkes Barre, PA , general contractor and three New Jersey subcontractors working at the site of a hotel being constructed in Secaucus, New Jersey and proposed penalties totaling $102,700 for two alleged willful violations and 19 alleged serious violations of OSHA safety standards. The companies have 15 working days to contest the citations.

The action results from an investigation initiated February 1 at 875 Paterson Plank Road in Secaucus, where the general contractor, Marquis-Stevens Inc. of 525 Richard St., Wilkes Barre, is engaged in the construction of a new Hilton hotel. An OSHA compliance officer who observed serious fall hazards on the site notified the site manager of the danger.

"This employer, despite repeated requests by OSHA, failed to take action to correct several hazards including falls from heights up to 50 feet," said David Ippolito, OSHA area director.

Marquis-Stevens, Inc. was cited for two alleged willful violations carrying a total proposed penalty of $77,000 for failing to provide adequate fall protection on the building roof and on open-sided floors.

The company also was cited for six alleged serious violations with a total proposed penalty of $9,600:

• failure to train employees in fall protection and other site specific hazards;
• failure to ensure that employees wore hard hats;
• failure to ensure that eye protection was worn when necessary;
• failure to ensure that portable electrical equipment was properly grounded;
• failure to provide adequate anchorage for horizontal cable lifelines;
• allowing employees to work under a suspended load.

Three subcontractors were cited for alleged serious violations. R Correa Construction Corp. of 115 Stewart Ave., Kearny, N.J., was cited for six violations carrying a total proposed penalty of $9,600:

• failure to train employees in fall protection and other site specific hazards;
• failure to ensure that employees wore hard hats;
• failure to ensure that eye protection was worn when necessary;
• failure to correctly install a horizontal cable lifeline used for fall protection;
• failure to protect lifelines from mechanical damage;
• failure to anchor lifelines to devices with adequate strength.

Wall Stucco, Inc. of 323 Spotswood Englishtown Rd., Monroe, NJ, was cited for 6 alleged serious violations carrying a total proposed penalty of $5,500:

• failure to institute a safety and health program;
• failure to train employees in fall protection and other site specific hazards;
• failure to ensure that employees wore hard hats;
• failure to ensure that scaffolds were fully planked;
• failure to erect scaffolding on firm and even footings;
• failure to provide safe means of egress from scaffolds.

Valairco, Inc. of 29 King George Road, Green Brook, N.J., was cited for unsafe use and transportation of compressed gas cylinders, an alleged serious violation with a proposed penalty of $1,000.

A willful violation is defined by OSHA as one committed with an intentional disregard for, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the OSHA act and regulations. A serious violation is defined as a condition which exists where there is a substantial possibility that death or serious physical harm can result.

The investigation was conducted by OSHA's Parsippany area office, located at 299 Cherry Hill Road, suite 304, Parsippany, New Jersey, telephone (973) 263-1003.

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