U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA Cites Denver Concrete Contractor Following Accident Injuring 13 Employees

Federal agency proposes $166,000 in penaltiesDENVER -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $166,000 in penalties against Concrete Express Inc. (CEI) of Denver for unsafe working conditions following a July 5, 2007, partial collapse of a concrete floor that injured 13 employees.The employees were involved in the placement and finishing of a concrete deck on the Landmark Tower condominium project in Greenwood Village, Colo., when the shoring, concrete and formwork collapsed, and the employees fell to the floor below. The general contractor on the site was Beck Residential, which contracted with CEI to provide shoring and formwork for support of the concrete frame of the building.Citations issued against the company by OSHA's Englewood Area Office included two willful violations with proposed penalties of $140,000 for a structural collapse hazard and improper shoring and bracing. Six serious violations with a proposed penalty of $26,000 cover employee exposure to collapse, fall and tripping hazards."Employers must provide a safe and healthful working environment, and ensure that all employees are protected from hazardous conditions," said John Healy, OSHA's area office director in Englewood, Colo. "This employer was well aware of, yet did not comply with, the standards that would have protected employees from the hazards we found during our inspection."Willful violations are those committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and its regulations. A serious violation is defined as one committed where there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.For the rest of this article please visit www.osha.gov.