A company inspected in January as part of OSHA’s Local Emphasis Program on fall hazards in construction was cited for two repeat and two serious safety violations for failing to provide required protective equipment and to protect workers from serious fall hazards.
Proposed penalties for -based F&G Sons Contractors Inc., doing business as F&G Stucco and Stone Contractors Inc., total $66,400.
Same violations, different worksites
"Basic safety precautions, such as hard hats and eye protection, were not provided at this work site. By repeatedly jeopardizing the safety and health of his workers, F&G owner Peter Guidice continues to demonstrate a blatant disregard for worker safety," said Lisa Levy, director of OSHA's Hasbrouck Heights Area Office. "This is reflected in the fact that the same violations from this investigation have been cited at several work sites overseen by Guidice."
OSHA previously cited this company in September 2009, August 2010 and in March 2013, resulting in $108,640 in proposed penalties. Prior to the current inspection, the company was placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program. The agency's SVEP focuses on employers that consistently endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations. Under the program, OSHA may inspect any of the employer's facilities if it has reasonable grounds to believe there are similar violations.
No eye protection for workers cutting stone
The repeat violations stemmed from the company's failure to provide helmets to protect workers from struck-by hazards from a scaffold pole that was being lowered over their heads, and failure to ensure employees cutting stone wore eye protection. Similar violations were cited in 2010*.
The serious violations include employee exposure to fall hazards and stairways unequipped with guardrails.
"F&G Sons, and employers like them that repeatedly fail to supply and ensure the use of effective fall protection and standard safeguards, continue to gamble with their workers' lives," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's New York regional administrator. "This company's active and ongoing disregard for its workers' safety is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
OSHA's fall prevention campaign provides employers and workers with lifesaving information and educational materials about working safely from ladders, scaffolds and roofs. Information on fall protection standards is available in English and Spanish.
