Thinkstock
Image

Seattle Tunnel Partners Cited for Violations Related to Injury-Causing Falls

May 19, 2015
On Feb. 12, one worker was hospitalized and several others injured when the rebar wall they were working on detached from a concrete wall, causing them to fall.

Seattle Tunnel Partners was cited for safety violations and fined $2,050 in connection with an incident in February that injured a subcontractor’s employees. The subcontractor, Central Steel, was cited in April for two safety violations related to the incident and fined $2,050. That citation is under appeal.

As general contractor of the project, Seattle Tunnel Partners is responsible for ensuring the overall safety of all workers on the project, including subcontractors’ employees.

The Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) cited Seattle Tunnel Partners for one serious violation and fined the company $1,750 for not ensuring that all protruding pieces of rebar were protected to prevent the possibility of impalement if a worker were to fall on it.

On Feb. 12, one worker was hospitalized and several others injured when the rebar wall they were working on detached from a concrete wall, causing them to fall. Falls from elevation are the number one cause of worker hospitalizations and fatalities in Washington.

The L&I investigation also found three general violations related to the employer’s OSHA 300 log recordkeeping, which is used to track workplace injuries. Employers are required to record all significant injuries, deaths, and hospitalizations within seven days of occurrence, including recording the number of days off work when prescribed by a medical provider. 

The inspection found that Seattle Tunnel Partners had not recorded medically required missed work days for one injury incident in 2012, nine in 2013 and seven in 2014.

Seattle Tunnel Partners was fined $100 for each of the three years.

The employer has 15 working days to appeal. Penalty money paid in connection with a citation is placed in the workers’ compensation supplemental pension fund, helping workers and families of those who have died on the job.

About the Author

Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is the former content director of EHS Today, and is currently the EHSQ content & community lead at Intelex Technologies Inc. She has written about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990.

Sponsored Recommendations

June 23, 2025
With the right workplace health and safety training, your organization can reduce risk and protect your employees.
June 23, 2025
This article covers the key steps to build a reliable SDS management program, from organizing your inventory and sourcing updated SDS to ensuring easy access and regular maintenance...
June 23, 2025
It's time to get a bit more granular and start to examine the types of metrics EHS departments should be tracking, starting with lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR).
June 23, 2025
With the number of lone workers on the rise, here are five facts every employer should know about lone working.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!