WORKPLACE SAFETY VIOLATIONS CAN COST MONEY

AND LIVES

BY FLOYD ARTHUR

IN JULY 2015, AN INSPECTOR FROM THE U.S DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND

HEALTH ADMINISTRATION WAS DRIVING BY A CONSTRUCTION

SITE IN NORTH AND OVER,

CONNECTICUT, WHEN HE SAW THREE WORKERS ON A ROOFTOP ABOUT 18

FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.

THE INSPECTOR DETERMINED THAT THE WORKERS WERE NOT

WEARING OSHA-MANDATED FALL

PROTECTION AND WERE “ONE SLIP, TRIP OR MISSTEP AWAY FROM

A DEADLY OR DISABLING FALL.”

AFTER A SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION TURNED UP FOUR ADDITIONAL SERIOUS WORKPLACE SAFETY

VIOLATIONS, THE WORKERS’ EMPLOYER, WOBURN, CONNECTICUT

BASED ROOFING CONTRACTOR

FORCE CORP., WAS ASSESSED A PROPOSED

$91,000 IN FINES.

WORKPLACE SAFETY VIOLATIONS

NOR WAS THIS FORCE CORP.’S FIRST RUN IN WITH OSHA. THE

COMPANY WAS CITED FOR

WORKPLACE SAFETY VIOLATIONS, SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE LACK OF

ADEQUATE FALL PROTECTION, AT

FOUR DIFFERENT JOB SITES IN 2013.

WORKPLACE SAFETY VIOLATIONS PUT WORKERS

AT

RISK

ACCORDING TO THE U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, THERE WERE 4,679 WORKPLACE FATALITIES

IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2014, AND ANOTHER 1,157,410

WORKERS SUFFERED ON-THE-JOB

INJURIES SEVERE ENOUGH TO REQUIRE TIME AWAY FROM WORK. INJURIES WERE MOST PREVALENT

IN THE FOLLOWING INDUSTRIES: SHERIFF’S PATROL OFFICERS; CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS AND

JAILERS;

FIREFIGHTERS; NURSING ASSISTANTS; CONSTRUCTION LABORERS; AND HEAVY AND

TRACTOR-TRAILER

TRUCK DRIVERS. ABOUT ONE IN FOUR INJURIES WAS DUE TO A SLIP OR FALL: IN THE CONSTRUCTION

INJURY, FALLS WERE THE LEADING CAUSE OF ON-THE-JOB DEATHS, ACCOUNTING FOR NEARLY 30

PERCENT OF ALL WORKPLACE FATALITIES.

AVOIDING WORKPLACE SAFETY VIOLATIONS

IN 2012, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND

HEALTH AND NIOSH'S NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL RESEARCH AGENDA PROGRAM, OSHA

IMPLEMENTED A COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION AND TRAINING

PROGRAM TO HELP CONSTRUCTION

EMPLOYERS MINIMIZE ON-THE-JOB FALLS. THE CAMPAIGN

PROVIDES EMPLOYERS WITH

INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON HOW TO PROVIDE THE CORRECT FALL-PROTECTION

EQUIPMENT FOR WORKERS AND TRAIN THEM IN ITS

USE.

AT THE SAME TIME, OSHA ALSO CREATED STANDARDS THAT

OUTLINE SAFETY MEASURES

EMPLOYERS MUST PUT IN PLACE WHEN EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING AT HEIGHTS OF 6 FEET OR MORE.

THE STANDARDS ALSO MANDATE PROTECTION FROM FALLING OBJECTS,

TRIPPING OVER OR FALLING

THROUGH HOLES, AND PROTECTION WHEN WORKING

AROUND DANGEROUS EQUIPMENT,

REGARDLESS OF HEIGHT. (FALL PROTECTION IS REQUIRED, FOR

EXAMPLE, IF A WORKER IS WORKING

ABOVE BELTS, PULLEYS, GEARS OR VATS OF

CORROSIVE MATERIALS.)

OSHA STANDARDS MANDATE SPECIFIC PROTECTIONS FOR VARIOUS

SITUATIONS. SOME OF THESE

INCLUDE:

* LEADING EDGE: EACH WORKER CONSTRUCTING A LEADING EDGE

6 FEET OR MORE ABOVE A

LOWER LEVEL MUST BE PROTECTED BY GUARDRAIL SYSTEMS, SAFETY

NET SYSTEMS OR PERSONAL

FALL ARREST SYSTEMS.

* LOW-SLOPE ROOFS : WHEN DOING ROOFING WORK ON A LOW-

SLOPE ROOF THAT HAS ONE OR

MORE UNPROTECTED SIDES 6 FEET OR MORE ABOVE GROUND

LEVEL, WORKERS MUST BE

PROTECTED FROM FALLING BY:

O GUARDRAIL SYSTEMS

O SAFETY NET SYSTEMS

O PERSONAL FALL ARREST SYSTEMS

O A COMBINATION FALL PROTECTION SYSTEM AND

WARNING LINE SYSTEM - OR -

O A WARNING LINE SYSTEM AND A SAFETY MONITORING

SYSTEM.

* OVERHAND BRICKLAYING: WORKERS WHO PERFORM

OVERHAND BRICKLAYING 6 FEET OR

MORE ABOVE A LOWER LEVEL OR WHO REACH 10 INCHES OR MORE BELOW THE LEVEL OF A

WORKING SURFACE MUST BE PROTECTED BY GUARDRAIL

SYSTEMS, SAFETY NET SYSTEMS, OR

PERSONAL FALL ARREST SYSTEMS.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT AVOIDING WORKPLACE SAFETY VIOLATIONS, REVIEW OSHA’S

PUBLICATION FALL PROTECTION IN CONSTRUCTION WHICH

PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT

DIFFERENT TYPES OF FALL PROTECTION SYSTEMS AND THE

TYPES OF WORKERS WHO ARE MOST AT

RISK. ADDITIONALLY, THE ONLINE RESOURCE, STOP FALLS, OFFERS

FACT SHEETS, POSTERS AND

VIDEOS THAT ILLUSTRATE FALL HAZARDS IN THE CONSTRUCTION

INDUSTRY AND OUTLINE APPROPRIATE

PREVENTIVE MEASURES.

AS AN EMPLOYER, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING YOUR WORKERS SAFE. ALTHOUGH NO

WORKPLACE IS 100 PERCENT HAZARD FREE, YOU CAN ELIMINATE WORKPLACE SAFETY VIOLATIONS BY

ADHERING TO OSHA GUIDELINES AND IMPLEMENTING A

COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY PROGRAM

INVOLVING ALL OF YOUR EMPLOYEES.

NOT SURE HOW TO GET STARTED? CONTACT ONE OF OUR

CONSTRUCTION INSURANCE EXPERTS, WHO

CAN HELP YOU ASSESS YOUR RISK AND MAKE A PLAN. CALL US AT 516-292-3780, MONDAY

THROUGH FRIDAY FROM 9 A.M. TO 6 P.M. TO SET UP AN

APPOINTMENT, OR REQUEST A FREE

CONSULTATION ONLINE TODAY.

VISIT WWW.CARMOONGROUP.COM