Guidance to ensure uniform enforcement of Silica Standards
A compliance directive was issued, designed to ensure uniformity in inspection and enforcement procedures when addressing respirable crystalline silica exposures in general industry, maritime, and construction. The directive provides compliance safety and health officers with guidance on how to enforce the silica standards’ requirements and provides clarity on major topics, such as alternative exposure control methods when a construction employer does not fully and properly implement Table 1, variability in sampling, multi-employer situations, and temporary workers.
Trenching webinar
A webinar on trench safety hosted by the agency and the American Society of Safety Professionals is available free online.
Recent fines and awards
Florida
- Inspected under the Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction, CJM Roofing Inc., based in West Palm, was cited for exposing employees to fall and other hazards at three residential worksites in Jensen Beach and Port St. Lucie. The contractor faces penalties totaling $199,711.
- Inspected under the Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction, Action Roofing Services, Inc., based in Pompano Beach, was cited for exposing employees to fall hazards at a worksite in Boca Raton, Florida. The roofing contractor faces $51,952 in penalties.
- Two construction contractors, CMR Construction & Roofing LLC of Panama City, and Modern Construction Experts LLC of Stuart, were cited for failing to protect employees from fall hazards at a construction worksite in Panama City. The two companies face $126,169 in penalties. An employee fatally fell 84 feet while working on the roof of a hotel.
- After receiving notice of an employee hospitalized after a trench collapse, an inspection was initiated at Florida Progress LLC, operating as Duke Energy Florida LLC. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based electric power distributor faces $53,976 in penalties for exposing employees to excavation hazards at a Zephyrhills, Florida, worksite.
Georgia
- Norfolk Southern Railway Corp. has been ordered to reinstate and pay more than $150,000 in back wages for whistleblower violations after terminating an employee for reporting an on-the-job injury at its Atlanta facility, and also filing an alleged violation report with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The company was also ordered to pay the employee $75,000 in punitive damages, $10,000 in compensatory damages, and attorney’s fees.
- Inspected under the National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation, Construction Management & Engineering Services Inc. was cited for exposing employees to excavation hazards at a Duluth worksite. The Norcross-based construction contractor faces $134,937 in penalties.
Illinois
- Grain firm Farmers Elevator Co., Manteno, received citations for two willful and three serious violations and a fine of $205,106 after a worker died at its Grant Park facility when he fell into a grain bin. The company was placed in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
Nebraska
- A federal appeals court confirmed a serious citation issued to Jacobs Field Services North America Inc. for failing to ensure “appropriate” personal protective equipment was worn by an electrician who was seriously burned. While the company argued that the work area was “deenergized” and fell under an “Electrically Safe Work Condition,” as well as unpreventable employee misconduct, the judge found the company had violated the standard requiring PPE when “there are potential electrical hazards.”
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