The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued citations to three New York electrical contractors. The penalties could total as much as $465,410 for workplace safety violations at a Long Island construction site. The project is a five story concrete business and apartment building.
The largest of the fines was the result of electrocution hazards. OSHA inspectors found that the contractors required their employees to work close to 13,200-volt power lines. Additionally, the businesses were cited for no marking the power lines with warning signs. Two of the contractors received citations for not checking with the utility provider to determine whether the lines had been shut own. Other citations included failure to train workers on electrical hazards, failure to have cranes inspected, failure to mark the cranes swing radius, and having protective helmets and rigging. The most serious citation was for allowing employees to get too close to power lines.
One of the companies received a repeat citation for having unguarded rebar. It receive a similar citation in March 2010 for the same hazard in Brooklyn.
What Are The Different Types of Citations?
OSHA workplace safety violations have different levels of severity. The companies were issued wilful citations for allowing worker too close to live power lines. A wilful violation refers to an intentional and knowing disregard for the requirements of the law and indifference to employee health and safety. Most of the other citations were for serious violations. This level of violation occurs when an employer probably knew that serious injury or death could result from the hazard and failed to correct it. A repeat violation is when an employer was cited for the same or similar violations within the past five years.
Companies have 15 days to comply, meet with the Long Island area OSHA director or contest the findings.
Source: For Construction Pros, “OSHA Cites Three New York Contractors for Electrocution Hazards at Long Island Worksite,” Jun. 17, 2013.