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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 - 04/08/2003 - OSHA Cites Gainesville, Fla., Contractor for Failing to Provide Workers with Adequate Fall Protection |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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Region 4 News Release ATL: 03-65 Tues., April 8 2003 Contact: James D. Borders Jo Anne Burgoyne Phone: (904) 232-2895 (404)562-2076 OSHA Cites Gainesville, Fla., Contractor for Failing to Provide Workers with Adequate Fall Protection JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited the Allan Spear Construction Company for exposing employees to fall hazards at a Gainesville job site. The agency is proposing $59,000 in penalties. On Oct. 22, the agency began an inspection after receiving a complaint about fall hazards at a University of Florida construction site that had been inspected earlier in the month. During the first inspection, OSHA officials alerted company representatives to fall hazards on a scaffold more than ten feet high. The hazards were corrected "Falls are a leading cause of fatalities at construction sites in Florida," said James Borders, OSHA's Jacksonville area director. "This company put its workers at great risk by using a scaffold without an adequate guardrail system, just three weeks after similar problems were brought to its attention." OSHA issued one willful citation with a proposed penalty of $56,000 for failing to provide a guardrail system or other means of fall protection for employees working from a scaffold approximately 20 feet high. The agency also issued an serious citation with a proposed penalty of $3,000 when employees were observed working from another scaffold with missing guardrails. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. A serious violation is one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard. The company has 15 working days to contest OSHA citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The work site was inspected by OSHA's Jacksonville area office located at 1851 Executive Center Drive, Suite 227; telephone: (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.gov. # # #
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OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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