Party’s Over for Event Rental Company Facing OSHA Fines

Normal.dotm0013011721Penton Media, Inc143211312.00false18 pt18 pt00falsefalsefalseTwo willful violations with $98,000 in fines involve the company allegedly failing to train employees in the use of powered industrial trucks and causing a potential electrocution hazard by providing damaged extension cord sets to be used in wet locations without ground fault circuit interruption protection. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

“Failing to provide workers with protection against possible electrical shocks and other workplace hazards is unacceptable,” said Howard Eberts, OSHA’s area director in Cleveland. “Employers have a responsibility to ensure that work environments are safe, which includes providing appropriate equipment and training to all employees.”

Sixteen serious safety violations with $56,000 in penalties involve alleged fall hazards, unguarded wall openings and stairs, failure to evaluate the workplace for hazards that necessitate the use of personal protective equipment, failure to provide equipment for fall protection as well as eye and face protection, failure to develop and implement a hazardous communications plan, failure to develop a written emergency action plan and failure to keep aisles clear for powered industrial trucks and as emergency exit routes. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Additionally, one other-than-serious violation with no penalties was cited for allegedly failing to have fire extinguishers readily available, inspecting the extinguishers monthly and conducting fire extinguisher training, as well as to mark load ratings for the floor and space if used for storage purposes. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

The ILAPA citations are available at http://www.osha.gov/Publications/ILAPA_315312868_0906_11.PDF.