The Hartford Area Office of the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has cited a Plainville, Massachusetts-based construction contractor $50,000 for one repeat fall hazard violation. Shawnlee Construction, LLC was cited after an OSHA inspection revealed employees faced fall hazards of nearly 12 feet at a Montville, Connecticut work site where a new public safety building was being constructed.
OSHA will normally issue a repeat violation when an employer is cited for a substantially similar violation of a regulation, standard, rule, or order within five years after an initial citation. According to OSHA’s Hartford Area Director, Paul Mangiafico, the fine was so large because Shawnlee Construction was previously cited three times in three different states for failing to protect workers from fall hazards within the last five years. The company was previously cited in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire in both 2007 and 2008.
Mangiafico stated protecting workers from fall hazards is paramount because falls are one of the most dangerous and disabling threats to construction employees. If not properly protected, workers may lose their lives or livelihoods in a matter of seconds. Mangiafico also stated effective fall hazard safeguards must be used consistently and without fail by every construction employer.
Employers in the United States have an obligation to provide employees with a workplace that is free of unreasonable safety hazards. OSHA is responsible for ensuring employers comply with applicable safety regulations and investigating severe workplace accidents. OSHA was created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The goal of the Act was to decrease employee injuries and fatalities by providing workers with training and information about workplace safety hazards.
Because the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Act normally provides a worker who is hurt while on-the-job with his or her only avenue for recovery, it is always advisable to contact a capable Massachusetts OSHA and workplace rights attorney after any workplace injury. A knowledgeable Massachusetts OSHA lawyer can help you evaluate your injury claim and will assist you with navigating the often complicatedMassachusetts workers’ compensation process.
Contact Pulgini & Norton, LLP today if you were injured at work. Our experienced Fall River workers’ compensation lawyers are available to assist you with gathering your medical documentation and filing your workers’ compensation claim. Pulgini & Norton will gladly negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf in order to get you the compensation your injuries merit. Our law firm assists clients throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts including Middlesex, Bristol, Norfolk, Worcester, and Suffolk counties. To discuss your workplace injury with a dedicated and hardworking attorney, call Pulgini & Norton at (888) 344-2046 or contact us through our website.
More Blogs:
OSHA Cites Everett Recycling Facility $70,000 for Ten Serious Violations, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, March 6, 2012
OSHA Settles with Wilmington Masonry Contractor for $134,000 over Rowes Wharf Safety Violations, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, February 11, 2012
Additional Resources:
US Labor Department’s OSHA cites Massachusetts contractor, proposes $50,000 fine for fall hazards at Montville, Conn., public safety building site, OSHA Region 1 News Release: 12-575-BOS/BOS 2012-053 dated April 2, 2012