Two Illinois companies cited for unsafe working conditions
Two Illinois companies are being cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for unsafe work conditions.
Our Chicago worker's compensation attorneys fight for the rights of employees who are injured on the job in Illinois. Far too often these accidents occur because an employer fails to provide the proper training or to properly outfit their employees with the right equipment and safety gear.
In the first case,The Occupation Safety & Health Administration cited the Peoria Siding & Window Company whit failing to provide their workers with fall protection equipment while working on residential roofing projects.
Unfortunately this is not the first time the company has been cited for failing to provide this type of equipment. They had been previously cited in July 2008 and again in July 2010, according to OSHA. The company was issued one willful safety violation, which means they intentionally ignored law's regarding employee safety. The penalty for this kind of violation is $48,400. The company will have 15 days to correct the violation.
"Falls are a leading cause of injury and death in the workplace," said Thomas Bielema, OSHA's area director in Peoria, Ill. "Failing to provide fall protection is unacceptable, and OSHA is committed to ensuring employers abide by this agency's safety and health regulations."
OSHA requires that an efficient type of fall protection, including personal fall arrest systems, guardrails or safety nets, be used by workers performing residential construction jobs that are 6 feet or greater above the next lower level.
Detailed information on fall protection can be found here.
The second case is against Di Paolo Co. in Glenview, Ill., which installs underground water and sewer pipes. The government contends the company failed to provide several safety measures to their workers.
The company was issued one willful safety violation, which means they intentionally ignored law's regarding employee safety involving cave-in protection.
They were also cited for nine serious safety violations. OSHA defines "serious" as being a substantial probability that serious physical harm or death could occur from a hazard that the employer should have known or had previous knowledge of.
The company did not provide fall protection for walkways and shoring systems. They did not have properly trained flagmen. Last, they had unapproved repairs to electrical cords. The total cost of violations to the company is $113,000. The company will have 15 days to correct the violations.
This company has been inspected 20 times since 1982 and has received 33 citations, mostly for violations involving trenching. Four citations were given in 1993 after a worker was killed on a job site.
"Cave-in accidents are a leading cause of worker fatalities during excavations. At the time of the inspection, members of the company's management team were on site and still allowed workers to be exposed to serious safety hazards," said OSHA Area Director Kathy Webb in North Aurora, Ill. "This situation simply is unacceptable, and we will do all we can to protect workers by enforcing OSHA regulations." OSHA requires cave-in protection when workers are excavating in depths greater than 5 feet.
Companies have a responsibility to keep their employees safe while on the clock. If you are dealing with a worker's compensation or disability claim issue in Chicago, contact the attorneys at the VanPopering Law Offices to discuss your rights. Call for a free consultation at 1-800-767-4878.
