Residential framing and siding contractor Southern Wood Works LLC has been cited by OSHA for five safety violations following an August 2014 inspection at a residence in Watersound. Citations were issued to the Freeport, Fla.-based company for failing to provide employees with fall protection equipment and exposure to falls from heights of up to 17 feet. The agency initiated the inspection as part of its Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction. Proposed penalties total $71,069.
Since 2009, Southern Wood Works has been inspected by OSHA five times and has received six citations for safety violations. The citations were issued because of the employer's failure to provide fall protection and personal protective equipment to workers.
A history
"This employer has a history of violating OSHA standards and has shown little regard for the safety of its employees. We are still finding safety hazards identified during prior inspections and easily identifiable safety hazards, such as lack of fall protection and personal protective equipment," said Brian Sturtecky, director of OSHA's Jacksonville Office.
A willful citation was issued for allowing employees to work from ladder jack scaffolds without fall protection equipment.
A repeat citation was issued for the employer's failure to ensure workers using a pneumatic nail gun wore safety glasses to protect them from flying debris or nails. Southern Wood was previously cited for this violation in 2013 at a job site in Santa Rosa Beach.
Exposure to dry, rotted wiring
Two serious citations were issued for allowing employees to work on and under scaffolds without wearing hard hats, which exposed them to falling debris. The employer exposed workers to shock and burn hazards from dry, rotted wiring with broken insulation and failed to ensure a first aid kit was available at the work site.
OSHA has created a fall prevention Web page at http://www.osha.gov/stopfalls with detailed information in English and Spanish on fall protection standards. The page offers fact sheets, posters and videos that vividly illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures.
