OSHA Inspection: WHITE CONSTRUCTION GROUP

Issued

Aug 8, 2017

Abate by

Aug 28, 2017

Penalty

Initial $5,070 · Current $12,675

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2): The employer did not instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to his/her environment to control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury:    (a) White Construction Group at 1401 Zuni St. Denver, CO: On or before 5/19/2017, the employer did not ensure that employees were trained in safe work practices for jacking and shoring of heavy overhead loads.  The employees placed a round steel shore post on top of a bottle jack (Jet JHJ-3, 3 ton bottle jack) to lift a 4,000 pound elevator counterweight.  The shore post was not plumb on the bottle jack.  The employees placed a smooth piece of angle iron between the jack and the shore post.  Neither this shore post, nor another shore post used to stabilize the counterweight, were centered on the counterweight.  Two temporary employees worked beneath the weight, jacking it up.  A full-time employee worked above, holding the shore posts in an attempt to keep the posts straight, placing his hands through a floor opening and under the weight.  The shore post on the jack kicked out, and the counterweight fell through the floor opening, crushing the full-time employee's hands between the counterweight and the floor opening, resulting a finger amputation.  This condition exposed employees to amputation, crushing, and struck-by hazards.

Issued

Aug 8, 2017

Abate by

Sep 1, 2017

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.305(c):  A wood block was not placed between the cap and the load where there was a possibility of slippage of the metal cap of the jack:    (a) White Construction Group at 1401 Zuni St. Denver, CO: On or before 5/19/2017, the employer did not ensure a wooden block was used between a hydraulic bottle jack (Jet JHJ-3, 3-ton bottle jack) and a round steel shore post when lifting a 4,000 pound elevator counterweight.  The employees placed a round steel shore post on top of a bottle jack (Jet JHJ-3, 3 ton bottle jack) to lift a 4,000 pound elevator counterweight.  The shore post was not plumb on the bottle jack.  The employees placed a smooth piece of angle iron between the jack and the shore post.  Neither this shore post, nor another shore post used to stabilize the counterweight, were centered on the counterweight.  Two temporary employees worked beneath the weight, jacking it up.  A full-time employee worked above, holding the shore posts in an attempt to keep the posts straight, placing his hands through a floor opening and under the weight.  The shore post on the jack kicked out, and the counterweight fell through the floor opening, crushing the full-time employee's hands between the counterweight and the floor opening, resulting a finger amputation.  The employer did not use a piece of wood or other compressible material between the jack load point and the load surface to promote the mating of the two surfaces and increase friction.  This condition exposed employees to amputation, crushing, and struck-by hazards.