Fatal fall leads to citations for construction company
No fall protection, no fall protection training
A construction company in American Samoa that routinely neglected to ensure workers were anchored or tied off to body harnesses came in for scrutiny by OSHA after a worker suffered a fatal fall in May.
Paramount Builders Inc., of Pago Pago, American Samoa, was cited for six serious, one willful and one repeat violation of workplace safety and health standards.
OSHA's fall protection safety standards require that those working at heights greater than 6 feet be anchored and tied off.
In addition to failing to provide fall protection, Paramount Builders was cited for failing to maintain material safety data sheets and provide training and information on hazardous chemicals kept on-site. The same violation was cited in 2009.
Additionally, the company was cited for not having a certified first-aid responder on-site, lack of fall protection training, use of inadequate ladders and improper use and maintenance of filtering facepiece respirators.
The citations can be viewed at www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/Paramount_Builders_908814_11192013.pdf*.
Since 2011, Paramount Builders has been subject to four planned inspections as part of OSHA's local emphasis programs for silica and construction, resulting in two citations for the same fall protection violations that led to the May fatality. Proposed fines total $107,910.
Fall-related incidents are a leading cause of occupational injuries and death.
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