Florida roofing company issued $1.5M in penalties after repeatedly exposing workers to fall hazards
Jacksonville, Fla., roofing company, Great White Construction Inc., has been cited and fined after OSHA inspectors observed employees – without the use of proper fall protection – removing shingles and plywood sheeting from the roof of a multi-story residential structure. Although the employees wore harnesses, they were not tied off to the rope grabs and roof anchors. Great White was cited with 14 violations and proposed penalties totaling $1,523,710. Given the employer’s extensive prior history of violations, OSHA issued 11 separate willful citations for failing to protect employees from fall hazards. The company was also cited for three repeat violations for failing to ensure employees used eye protection while operating nail guns and for ladders used to access roof sites, again exposing employees to fall hazards. OSHA has investigated the company 12 times since 2012, and issued 22 citations for similar violations. Great White is now in the agency’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. For more information, read the news release.
Loren Sweatt appointed OSHA deputy assistant secretary
Loren Sweatt joined the Occupational Safety and Health Administration July 24, 2017. Ms. Sweatt joins the agency from the U.S. House of Representatives where she served as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Committee on Education and the Workforce for the last 15 years. In this role, Ms. Sweatt handled workplace safety issues before the Committee to include OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Ms. Sweatt holds a BA in Political Science from Texas Christian University and an MBA from Marymount University.
OSHA Urges Recovery Workers to Stay Safe in Areas Affected by Harvey
As thousands of workers and volunteers courageously mobilize to help victims recover from the catastrophic storm damage in Texas and Louisiana, OSHA advises workers and those helping in recovery efforts to take proper safety and health precautions to avoid injury.
Following a natural disaster, recovery and cleanup workers can be exposed to many dangers, including downed power lines, carbon monoxide and electrical hazards from portable generators, confined spaces, fall and struck-by hazards from weakened and damaged trees, mold, high water levels, toxic chemical exposure, and more.
OSHA has resources to help employers keep their workers safe when hurricanes and floods strike and during cleanup and recovery operations. For more information, visit OSHA.gov or the Department of Labor’s Hurricane Recovery Assistance webpage.
OSHA Proposes Extension to Compliance Deadline for Crane Operator Certification Requirements
OSHA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to extend the employer’s responsibility to ensure crane operator competency and enforcement for crane operator certification to Nov. 10, 2018. OSHA proposed a delay of the enforcement date to address stakeholder concerns over the operator certification requirements in the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard. Comments may be submitted by Sept. 29 either electronically, at www.regulations.gov, or by facsimile or mail. See the Federal Register notice for submission details and more information.
For more information or assistance with your Environmental and Health & Safety regulatory compliance needs, contact Ralph Carito at Total Environmental & Safety, LLC (Total) at rcarito@TotalEnviron.com or 908-442-8599.