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OSHA fines for electrical violations

jar546

jar546

CBO
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
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Not where I really want to be
Did not know where to post this.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The failure of a Victor-based optical equipment manufacturer to correct serious safety hazards has resulted in $131,600 in additional fines from OSHA. Unapproved use of electrical equipment was one of the violations cited.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=25200

HARTFORD, Conn. – The failure of Jarosz Welding Company Inc., a Hartford-based contractor, for not correcting specific workplace safety hazards cited during a previous OSHA inspection has resulted in $165,550 in additional fines. The company also received a new serious citation, with a fine of $2,200, regarding blocked access to electrical panels.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=25254

ROBERTSDALE, Ala. – OSHA has cited Emerald Coast RV Center LLC of Robertsdale for nine serious safety violations resulting in proposed penalties of $41,000. Hazards included the failure to ensure adequate guarding on electrical boxes and the improper use of temporary wiring.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=25215

FRANKLIN PARK, Ill. – Arlington Metals Corp. has been cited by OSHA for 38 safety and health violations, which carry proposed penalties of $117,000. Violations included unsafe electrical work practices, such as failing to provide covers on live transformers and failure to prevent the use of extension cords when fixed wiring is required.https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=25212

HARTFORD, Conn. – OSHA has cited The JJ Ryan Corp. Rex Forge Division, a Plantsville-based metal forging company, for five repeat and 16 serious safety and health violations, $112,068 in proposed fines. Hazards included two repeat safety violations involve using an extension cord instead of the proper fixed wiring and using damaged electrical cords. Additional electrical hazards and the lack of adequate training and safe work procedures to protect workers on or near energized electrical equipment were also identified.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=25227
 
Mark, I think there is legit, and witch hunting. If you pay attention you will see most of the violations cited, according to what is posted, is extension cords.

The fines are 469,000 bucks. That would pay 9 workers pretty well for one year, or one senior building official for a year.

That's if they don't get negotiated down in the strong arming process.

There is a question of actual danger, and also the possible fault of employees.

Brent.
 
You didn't pick up on the hint of sarcasm there?...It does sound like a bit much from where I sit, but none of these seem to be out of the blue enforcement. They all seem to be ongoing problems that have not been dealt with which equals some kind of negligence....

Even in CA I haven't seen a BO job that pays $496K...Otherwise I would be packed already....

MASSDRIVER said:
You don't think hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines won't translate into lost jobs?Brent.
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MASSDRIVER said:
Mark, I think there is legit, and witch hunting. If you pay attention you will see most of the violations cited, according to what is posted, is extension cords. The fines are 469,000 bucks. That would pay 9 workers pretty well for one year, or one senior building official for a year.

That's if they don't get negotiated down in the strong arming process.

There is a question of actual danger, and also the possible fault of employees.

Brent.
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In Brent's world there would be no fines, no rules and no consequences. Unfortunately I can't afford a ticket to Perfect World. Still, your crusade gives you a voice.
 
Not at all esteemed 5th member of Led Zeppelin.

I simply think there has to be some temperance and reason.

In the example above it may very well be merited if you have a repeat offender that regularly flaunts the rules. But I also think there needs to be some review of the actual danger involved too.

I personally am dealing with 2 clients with complaints that went vindictive and are are causing me to be fined by the cslb.

Thankfully the appeal process in going my way and mitigating 90% of the problem. But I am getting fined and getting a black mark after 20 years of happy customers and good reputation. I'm not happy but at least there is a process of fairness.

I'm being punished for a mistake, not overt malpractice.

OSHA has a function and sometimes can be harshly overbearing in fines.

I was more commenting on Steve's response, which I misread.

But yea, I actually know the value of regulation but wish it would be put to use against criminal type transgression rather than innocent mistakes.

My "agenda" is about discussion, not libertarianism.

Brent
 
mark handler said:
How much is a person's life worth....Any person
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Not as much as you might think.

Ask an insurance underwriter and you'll get an answer between $100-500k. Ask a wrongful death prosecutor and it'll be higher. But in no case is it infinite or priceless.

The emotional whining of "just saving one life" doesn't convince me that all regulations are worthy, and I'm one who has lost more relatives to tragedy than most.

Life is precious, no question. But over-regulation based purely on emotional pleas doesn't mean we can prevent all tragedy.

Happy New Year to you and ALL forum members.
 
I am just saying we can prevent some tragedies by doing things to code

And penalize those that choose to save a buck by doing things that are against code and endanger their employees

Or when the building burns down and 100 employees loose their jobs/ lives
 
mark handler said:
How much is a person's life worth....Any person
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False argument.

We should ask, how much is it worth to use an extension cord?

How dangerous is it to use a "damaged cord"? How compromised was it? Why was the employee using it? His fault, or forced by his boss?

In all my time working I have never seen, nor met anyone who was electrocuted by an extension cord, damaged or otherwise.

Also, the employee does not ever see any of the fine, so he or she benifits not from its levy. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You can tell people till you are blue in te face about tying guards back on saws, but I will bet you a paycheck I can visit a production site right now and find 3 or 4 at least. And that after a rather spirited tailgate meeting and graphic stories about the consequences.

How much is your secretaries hands worth from carpel tunnel after 20 years of nasty grams to deserving contractors?

Brent.
 
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/in-house/full9105.html

A 19-year-old male construction laborer (victim) was electrocuted after handling a damaged extension cord that was energized. The victim, a second laborer, and a foreman were constructing a waterfront bulkhead for a residence at the edge of a lake. Electric power was supplied from an exterior 120-volt, grounded AC receptacle located at the back of the residence. On the day of the incident, the victim plugged in a damaged extension cord and laid it out towards the bulkhead. There were no eyewitnesses of the incident. However, evidence suggests that while the victim was handling the damaged and energized extension cord, he provided a "path to ground," and was electrocuted
 
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mark handler said:
An do not appreciate the comment
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Let's not derail,Your Grand Exaltedness.

So through all that searching we (you) found one instance of a crew having auto-darwinated by dipping their cord in water?

No wonder I've neither seen nor heard of it before.

Where was the gfi?

Brent
 
MASSDRIVER said:
Let's not derail,Your Grand Exaltedness. So through all that searching we (you) found one instance of a crew having auto-darwinated by dipping their cord in water?

No wonder I've neither seen nor heard of it before.

Where was the gfi?

Brent
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GFCI, isn't that one of the commie socialist things that you railed against that was a useless expense for homes....

But you missed the second post with hundreds of electrocution s of construction workers using extension cord s
 
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MASSDRIVER said:
Let's not derail,Your Grand Exaltedness. So through all that searching we (you) found one instance of a crew having auto-darwinated by dipping their cord in water?

No wonder I've neither seen nor heard of it before.

Where was the gfi?

Brent
Click to expand...
Mr. Handler, sir. You need to read those links. They are mostly guys in lifts hitting hv wires.

The first died trying to connect an air hose to a generator.

HAHAHAHAHAHA !

Chlorine in the gene pool.

Brent.
 
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