OSHA has cited one New Jersey general contractor and four subcontractors for 21 workplace safety and health violations found at the construction site of a car dealership in Paramus. Proposed penalties total $182,380.
OSHA initiated an inspection on Nov. 12, 2010, in response to an imminent danger fall hazard observed by an OSHA compliance officer. As a result of the inspection, general contractor Infante Associates Inc. of Ridgewood was cited for three serious violations with penalties of $11,880; La Conti Concrete & Masonry Inc. of Brick was cited for eight serious violations with penalties of $30,100; Paino Roofing Co. Inc. of Hackensack was cited for four willful and two serious violations with penalties of $51,480; V.A. Spatz & Sons in Berkeley Heights was cited for one willful violation with a penalty of $44,100; and C. Mancini Construction Drywall & Acoustical Inc. of Lyndhurst was cited for one willful and two serious violations with penalties of $44,820.
"The lack of fall protection and other workplace hazards are completely unacceptable and unnecessarily put workers in harm's way," said Lisa Levy, director of OSHA's Hasbrouck Heights Area Office.
The willful violations include a 12- to 36-foot fall hazard for employees performing roofing work; a fall hazard in excess of 16 feet from a walking/working surface; inadequate use of a safety monitor; a warning line not in place at all sides of the roof's surface and excavated material not kept back at least 2 feet from edge of an excavation.
The serious violations address fall hazards in excess of 10 and 16 feet from a walking/working surface; a fall hazard of approximately 27 feet from a scaffold working level; a fall hazard of approximately 16 feet for employees performing overhand bricklaying; a lack of site housekeeping; scaffolding hazards; not maintaining the top cable of the guard rail system at its required height; exposed rebar and inappropriate use of a ladder.
