A fatal accident at a Middleburg, Pa., company in February has resulted in citations from OSHA and proposed penalties of $150,500.
OSHA has cited modular home manufacturer Apex Homes Inc. with willful and serious violations of safety and health standards.
The agency''s inspection began Feb. 26, after an Apex employee was struck on the head and killed by a roll of carpet that fell from an elevated storage rack.
"Our investigation uncovered many hazards, including the lack of sufficient fall protection and personal protective equipment, that must be corrected right away to ensure the safety and health of workers at this site," said Andrew Hedesh, area director of the Wilkes-Barre OSHA office.
The company was issued citations for two alleged willful violations, carrying a proposed penalty of $112,000 and 21 alleged serious violations, carrying a proposed penalty of $38,500.
Among the citations, Apex Homes was cited for failure to guard open-sided platforms positioned 4 or more feet above ground level with standard railings and failure to ensure that employees exposed to fall hazards of up to 12 feet were protected with a personal fall protection system.
Apex Homes has 15 working days from receipt of the citation to decide to comply, to request an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
by Virginia Foran