OSHA Inspection: THE LANDTEK GROUP, INC.

Issued

Dec 20, 2016

Penalty

Initial $7,126 · Current $12,471

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.651(k)(1): Daily inspections of excavations, the adjacent areas, and protective systems were not made by a competent person for evidence of a situation that could have resulted in possible cave-ins, indications of failure of protective systems.    a) Work site was located at 151 Fairview Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044    Employees were exposed to cave in hazards as they were directed to work in an unprotected excavation with sheer walls as high as nearly 11 feet with no means of shoring to prevent collapse. The excavation had not been inspected that day by a competent person. A broken sanitary sewer pipe was tied in to an existing manhole and was washing out the soil undermining one wall of the excavation.    Violation was observed on or about 6/22/2016.

Issued

Dec 20, 2016

Penalty

Initial $7,126 · Current $12,471

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(4): Ladder(s) were used for purposes other than the purpose for which they were designed.    a) Worksite was located at 151 Fairfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044.    Employees were exposed to fall hazards as they were using a Werner 10 Foot A-Frame Step Ladder that was in the closed position for access and egress to and from the bottom of the excavation.    Violation was observed on or about 6/21/2016 and 6/22/2016.

Issued

Dec 20, 2016

Abate by

Jan 3, 2017

Penalty

Initial $12,471 · Current $12,471

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1203(a): Before it begins work at a worksite, each employer must ensure that a competent person identifies all confined spaces in which one or more of the employees it directs may work, and identifies each space that is a permit space, through consideration and evaluation of the elements of that space, including testing as necessary.    a) Worksite was located at 151 Fairfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044.    Employees were exposed to potential atmospheric and explosion hazards as they were directed to enter an existing sanitary sewer manhole that had not been evaluated. Potential atmospheric hazards include but are not limited to oxygen deficiency and hydrogen sulfide. Potential explosion hazards include methane gas.     Violation was observed on or about 6/21/2016 and 6/22/2016.

Issued

Dec 20, 2016

Abate by

Jan 3, 2017

Penalty

Initial $7,126 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1203(d): (d) If any employer decides that employees it directs will enter a permit space, that employer must have a written permit space program that complies with �1926.1204 implemented at the construction site. The written program must be made available prior to and during entry operations for inspection by employees and their authorized representatives.    a) Worksite was located at 151 Fairfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044.    Employees were exposed to potential atmospheric and explosion hazards in that the employer failed to have a written permit space program specific to the site identifying permit required confined spaces and the hazards that exist within them for employees working on the sanitary sewer improvements at the manhole tie-in location. Potential  atmospheric hazards include but are not limited to oxygen deficiency and hydrogen sulfide. Potential explosion hazards include methane gas.     Violation was observed on or about 6/21/2016 and 6/22/2016.

Issued

Dec 20, 2016

Abate by

Jan 3, 2017

Penalty

Initial $12,471 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1203(e)(2)(iii): (iii) Before an employee enters the space, the internal atmosphere must be tested, with a calibrated direct-reading instrument, for oxygen content, for flammable gases and vapors, and for potential toxic air contaminants, in that order. Any employee who enters the space, or that employee's authorized representative, must be provided an opportunity to observe the pre-entry testing required by this paragraph.    a) Worksite was located at 151 Fairfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044.    Employees were exposed to potential atmospheric and explosion hazards from a manhole for a sanitary sewer system. The manhole was not subject to air monitoring before employees entered it to tie in the sanitary sewer. Potential  atmospheric hazards include but are not limited to oxygen deficiency and hydrogen sulfide. Potential explosion hazards include methane gas.      Violation occurred on or about 6/21/2016 and 6/22/2016.

Issued

Dec 20, 2016

Abate by

Jan 3, 2017

Penalty

Initial $7,126 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1207(a): The employer must provide training to each employee whose work is regulated by this standard, at no cost to the employee, and ensure that the employee possesses the understanding, knowledge, and skills necessary for the safe performance of the duties assigned under this standard. This training must result in an understanding of the hazards in the permit space and the methods used to isolate, control or in other ways protect employees from these hazards, and for those employees not authorized to perform entry rescues, in the dangers of attempting such rescue.    a) Worksite was located at 151 Fairfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044.    Employees were exposed to potential atmospheric and explosion hazards in that they were not properly trained for the safe performance of their duties and the hazards associated with them when they entered the sanitary sewer manhole. Potential  atmospheric hazards include but are not limited to oxygen deficiency and hydrogen sulfide. Potential explosion hazards include methane gas.      Violation was observed on or about 6/21/2016 and 6/22/2016.

Issued

Dec 20, 2016

Abate by

Jan 3, 2017

Penalty

Initial $7,126 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1211(a)(1): (1) The employer designated rescue and emergency services, pursuant to � 1926.1204(i) and did not evaluate the prospective rescuer's ability to respond to a rescue summons in a timely manner, considering the hazard(s) identified.      a) Worksite was located at 151 Fairfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044.    Employees were exposed to potential atmospheric and explosion hazards in that the employer did not coordinate rescue and emergency services for employees entering a sanitary sewer manhole on site.  The employer had designated 911 as the rescue and emergency response without evaluating local emergency response capabilities. Potential  atmospheric hazards include but are not limited to oxygen deficiency and hydrogen sulfide. Potential explosion hazards include methane gas.     Violation occurred on or about 6/21/2016 and 6/22/2016.

Issued

Dec 20, 2016

Abate by

Jan 3, 2017

Penalty

Initial $12,471 · Current $0 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.1211(c): (c) Non-entry rescue is required unless the retrieval equipment would increase the overall risk of entry or would not contribute to the rescue of the entrant.     a) Worksite was located at 151 Fairfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044.    Employees were exposed to potential atmospheric and explosion hazards while they worked in a sanitary sewer manhole on site with no means of mechanical retrieval available for rescue in the event of an emergency. The employees did not have a harness, lanyard or tripod with winch available to them. Potential  atmospheric hazards include but are not limited to oxygen deficiency and hydrogen sulfide. Potential explosion hazards include methane gas.       Violation was observed on or about 6/21/2016 and 6/22/2016.

Issued

Dec 20, 2016

Abate by

Jan 3, 2017

Penalty

Initial $124,709 · Current $78,583 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.652(a)(1): Each employee in an excavation was not protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system designed in accordance with 29 CFR 1926.652(c).     a) Worksite was located at 151 Fairfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044.    Two employees were exposed to caught in and struck by hazards as they were observed working in an open excavation that was over 10 feet deep with nearly perpendicular walls in Class B soil with no cave-in protection or adequate benches / slopes to protect the employees from engulfment.    Violation was observed on or about 6/22/2016.