OSHA cited Bianchi Trison Corp., Syracuse, N.Y., for alleged safety and health violations while demolishing Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh last February.
The agency is proposing $454,550 in penalties.
According to Robert Szymanski, area director of the Pittsburgh OSHA office, six willful health violations, with a proposed penalty of $324,000 were issued for overexposing employees to lead.
"Employees were totally unprotected and at risk from the dangerous effect of lead," said Szymanski. "The company had no plan to protect employees before the implosion and a deficient plan after the implosion."
Two willful safety violations and seven serious violations, with a total proposed penalty of $130,550 were also issued for unprotected wall openings, exposing employees to falls ranging from 20 to 60 feet, debris drop areas that were not barricaded, open-sided floors, improper erection and utilization of scaffolding and other electrical and fall hazards.
The company has 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Commission.
by Virginia Sutcliffe