OSHA Inspection: SOTA CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC.

Issued

Jul 30, 2012

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $1,750 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.300(b)(3): One or more methods of machine guarding were not provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks. Examples of guarding methods are - barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices, electronic safety devices, etc:    a) Jobsite, 1835 Wharton Street, Pittsburgh, PA: On or about June 20, 2012, during construction activities, the employer did not ensure that a guard was used over the saw blade on the Bosch table saw, serial number 003100681, exposing employees to amputation hazards.

Issued

Jul 30, 2012

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $1,750 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.501(b)(1): Each employee on a walking/working surface (horizontal and vertical surface) with an unprotected side or edge which is 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above a lower level was not protected from falling by the use of guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems:    a) Jobsite, 1835 Wharton Street, Pittsburgh, PA: On or about June 27, 2012, during construction activities, the employer did not ensure that fall protection systems/devices were used while an employee was carrying recently dismantled scaffolding at the rear of the unit and carrying it around to the front of the unit along the 3rd floor roof, where exposed to a fall of approximately 25-30 feet.     b) Jobsite, 1835 Wharton Street, Pittsburgh, PA: On or about June 27, 2012, during construction activities, the employer did not ensure that fall protection systems/devices were used while an employee was walking on the roof from one unit to another unit, along the 3rd floor of the unit, where exposed to a fall of approximately 25-30 feet.

Issued

Jul 30, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.502(e)(1): Positioning devices were not rigged such that an employee could not free fall more than 2 feet (.9 m):    a) Jobsite, 1835 Wharton Street, Pittsburgh, PA: On or about June 20, 2012, during construction activities on the 3rd floor rear roof section, the employer did not ensure that the rope grab system used at the worksite was rigged so that an employee could not free fall more than 2 feet. An employee worked at the edge of the roof, which was approximately 17 feet in width, and was anchored to the patio door frame about 50 feet diagonally from where he worked, enabling him, if he fell, to fall approximately 20 feet or more.

Issued

Jul 30, 2012

Abate by

Aug 13, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.503(c)(3): The employer did not ensure that employees were retrained in fall protection where inadequacies in an affected employee's knowledge or use of fall protection systems or equipment indicated that the employee has not retained the requisite understanding or skill:    a) Jobsite, 1835 Wharton Street, Pittsburgh, PA: On or about June 20, 2012, during construction activities on the 3rd floor rear roof section, workers were exposed to fall hazards of approximately 25-30 feet due to inadequacies in their fall protection training. Employees were using fall protection equipment that was not appropriate for the work, such as rope grabs that did not adequately bite on the rope when pulled or did not have a locking anchor point attachment, the fall protection training did not cover swing/fall hazards and at times workers were not using any fall protections systems/devices.