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OSHA Cites Missouri Company for Fall Hazards

May 18, 2005

St. Charles Acoustics LLC of Bridgeton, Mo., allegedly failed to protect workers from exposure to fall hazards at a local worksite last fall, according to citations issued to the company by OSHA, which has proposed a $150,500 penalty.

Josh Cable

The company was inspected in November 2004 after employees were observed working from a scaffold structure without required safety equipment, according to OSHA. OSHA Regional Administrator Charles E. Adkins, CIH, said the company was cited for four willful, three serious and two other-than-serious alleged violations.

The willful citations allege the company failed to: install base plates and mud sills under the scaffold structure; provide employees a safe means of access to the working platforms of the scaffold; conduct a pre-shift inspection; and provide guard rails when fall distances exceeded 10 feet.

Alleged serious violations include allegations that employees did not wear head protection when working from and under scaffolds; working levels of a tubular weld scaffold were not fully planked or decked; and scaffold platforms greater than 10 feet in length extended more than 18 inches beyond the supports.

Alleged other-than-serious citations included failure to provide the OSHA 300 logs of workplace injuries and illnesses for the years 2002, 2003 and 2004 and failure to provide scaffold hazard training.