Contractor Faces $265,000 in Proposed Fines for Alleged Willful Violations

Dec. 15, 2005
OSHA has cited Demolition Contractors Inc. (DCI) for alleged failure to protect employees from safety and health hazards during demolition operations on a portion of the Crossroads Shopping Mall in Omaha, Neb. OSHA issued 13 citations against the company with proposed penalties that total $265,000.

"We initiated a safety inspection July 1 focused on employee exposure to fall hazards," said Charles Adkins, CIH, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City. "A health inspection began July 20 to address potential employee overexposure to silica. The citations issued are a result of these inspections."

Four willful safety citations allege the company:

  • Failed to provide an enclosed chute to contain materials and concrete debris dumped over the edge of the building;
  • Did not use guardrails, safety nets or other arrest systems to protect workers from falls;
  • Failed to ensure that all floor holes were guarded appropriately; and
  • Failed to install barriers to prevent heavy equipment from driving into floor holes when dumping debris.

Serious safety citations addressed the employer's alleged failure to:

  • Ensure all employees wore appropriate personal protective equipment when exposed to hazardous conditions;
  • Provide fall protection systems to protect employees when working 6 feet above lower levels;
  • Protect employees from falling objects; and
  • Establish or maintain frequent inspections of the job site, materials and equipment.

"During the health inspection, we documented employee overexposure to crystalline quartz silica," Adkins said. "We issued the company one willful health citation for failure to provide suitable respiratory protection and failure to assess employee exposure to silica."

Three health citations classified as serious alleged silica overexposure and failure to implement administrative or engineering controls; failure to provide hazardous communication training for such exposure; employee noise overexposure; and failure to require the use of hearing protectors to reduce noise exposures.

Sponsored Recommendations

3 Essential Elements for a Strong Safety Culture

March 13, 2024
Organizations globally have increased their attention on safety culture: trying to figure out what it really is and the aspects that are necessary to develop and sustain it. And...

Making the Case for Occupational Health Software

March 13, 2024
Deciding to invest in Occupational Health (OH) software can be a challenging leap for many organizations. This article will equip businesses with insightful strategies for effectively...

Fighting the Flu: Solutions for the Workplace

March 13, 2024
Seasonal flu continues to wreak considerable havoc both on individual wellness, as well as on our business continuity and productivity. Explore these solutions for protecting ...

Preventing SIFs with Digitization: Reduce Serious Injuries and Fatalities with Technology

March 13, 2024
This eBook discusses the origins of SIF prevention, outlines principles, models and tools available to EHS leaders to better detect and address SIF potential in their business...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!