West Virginia Contractors Cited for Exposing Workers to Hazards

Feb. 11, 2000
H.M. Brown Enterprises and Bilco Construction Co. were cited Wednesday for exposing workers to the dangers of lead poisoning, high noise levels and other job-related hazards.

H.M. Brown Enterprises and Bilco Construction Co. were cited by OSHA Wednesday for exposing workers to the dangers of lead poisoning, high noise levels and other job-related hazards.

Proposed penalties total $541,800.

H.M. Brown, d.b.a. as Raleigh Junk and Cramer Iron and Metal, is a scrap metal operation with four salvage yards in West Virginia.

Bilco is a construction company, working on the 72-year old Cotton Hill Bridge in Beckwith, W.V.

OSHA initiated an inspection of H.M. Brown on Aug. 9, 1999 under its inspection scheduling system for industries with high injury rates.

According to Stanley Elliot, area director of the Charleston OSHA office, this inspection yielded citations for three willful violations and 37 serious violations.

Some of these citations included the company's failure to adhere to OSHA's noise standard; employee overexposure to lead; and unsafe crane conditions.

A second inspection involving H.M. Brown began on Aug. 16, while the company was working as a sub-contractor for Bilco Construction on the demolition of the Cotton Hill Bridge.

H.M. Brown was cited again for similar violations as the previous citations as well as not requiring appropriate respiratory protection and not assuring that employees exposed to lead, showered and changed out of work clothes prior to going home.

Bilco was also cited for not developing a site exposure control plan, not conducting an initial lead monitoring, not posting lead warning signs and not requiring appropriate respiratory protection.

Both companies have 15 working days from receipt of the citations to comply or contest the citations.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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