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OSHA issued five “serious” citations and one “repeat” citation against Destin Drywall and Paint Inc. of Houston, Texas, for alleged violations of fall-protection rules at a job site in Hamburg, Pa.
Proposed penalties total $20,100. The citations involve installation of wallboard to the exterior of a Wal-Mart store, OSHA said.
“Destin Drywall has a recent history of not providing proper fall protection to employees at its jobsites,” said Kevin Kilp, OSHA's area director in Harrisburg, Pa., whose office conducted the inspection. “This protection is critical given that falls are the leading cause of injuries and fatalities in the construction industry.”
Serious citations allege a failure to provide fall protection for employees working on aerial lifts, training for employees on fall protection requirements while working on aerial lifts and roofs, and required personal protective equipment. They also allege that the company permitted workers to operate a rough-terrain forklift without required training and allowed misuse of a stepladder.
A serious citation is issued “when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.” Penalties for the serious citations total $11,700.
The repeat citation alleges that the company permitted its employees to work on a surface greater than 6 feet above the ground without an approved method of fall protection. A repeat citation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule, or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. The proposed penalty for this repeat citation is $8,400.
Destin Drywall was issued a separate serious citation with a $1,500 penalty earlier this year for not providing proper fall protection while performing work at a Wal-Mart location in Benbrook, Texas. The company also was issued two additional serious citations and $3,375 in penalties for similar hazards while performing work at a Wal-Mart site in North East, Md.
OSHA said the company has 15 working days from receipt of the latest citations to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director in Harrisburg, or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
More information on OSHA’s fall-protection standards is available at fall-protection standards.
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