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OSHA cites steel erection companies for continued exposure of employees to fall hazards at Gadsden, Alabama area job site

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $123,750 in penalties against Fast-J Steel Erectors and Magna Steel Erectors for serious and repeat safety violations committed while constructing a metal building near Gadsden, Ala. Both companies are based in Houston, Texas, and have the same owner.

Under an agency regional emphasis program focused on reducing falls in the construction industry, an OSHA compliance officer initiated an inspection after observing fall hazards at the site.

"These companies placed their employees' lives at risk by allowing unsafe working conditions," said Roberto Sanchez, OSHA's area director in Birmingham. "Falls are a leading cause of death in construction and most are preventable if companies follow the proper procedures."

OSHA proposed a $105,750 penalty against Fast-J Steel Erectors for two serious and three repeat safety violations. Serious violations included the company's failure to conduct frequent and regular inspections of the jobsite and their employees' failure to wear protective head gear. The repeat violations included lack of fall protection while on the structure, lack of fall protection while using aerial lifts, and climbing onto and over railings while engaged in steel erection activities.

OSHA has determined that Fast-J Steel Erectors falls under its Enhanced Enforcement Program, which targets employers indifferent to their obligations under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970.

Magna Steel Erectors was cited for four serious safety violations with a proposed penalty of $18,000 for using unsafe electrical equipment, a lack of fall protection on aerial lifts, improper installation of a fall protection system and not securing the building's framework before placing construction loads on the steel.

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