Blade Contracting Inc, a company based in Staten Island NY has been on the receiving end of citations from OSHA after a worker was injured in a fall from a balcony while using a scaffold system on the job site.
The masonry contracting company was found to have seven safety violations for fall hazards on the job site at the time the employee was injured. One of the violations was found to be willful with the employer knowing about it without regard to the safety of the workers. The company was found to be using ‘makeshift devices’ to extend the height of the scaffolding set up. Workers accessing the scaffolds were not being protected properly from potential fall hazards.
The injured worker fell from a sixth floor balcony as they were trying to get on to a suspension scaffold. The penalties being enforced by OSHA against the contractor now stand at $136,290. One of the issued violations was also listed as a repeat violation as the employer has previously be cited for a similar problem in the past.
Blade Contracting has 15 days after receiving the citations to make changes, ask for a conference with OSHA representatives, or contest the issued citations. Previous violations were issued in 2007 and 2010 against the company. OSHA has ramped up its campaign regarding scaffold safety and the overall working safety when employees are accessing scaffolds, ladders, and other equipment at great heights.