The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Waterfront Construction Inc. with 12 serious safety violations for exposing workers to falls, burns and other hazards found while workers installed seawalls, at 256 Three Islands Blvd in Hallandale Beach. The agency initiated the February 2014 inspection in response to a complaint and proposed a $44,100 penalty.
"This company's failure to provide fall protection and personal protective equipment jeopardized its workers safety and exposed them to avoidable fall and struck-by hazards. Waterfront Construction must take immediate corrective steps to ensure a safe workplace," said Condell Eastmond, director of OSHA's Fort Lauderdale Area Office.
The serious violations include the employer exposing workers to:
- Fall hazards by having them walk across a wooden board, without fall protection, to access a work area
- Drowning hazards from not providing life jackets or personal flotation devices to employees working on a barge and seawalls
- Fire and explosion hazards from improperly storing oxygen and acetylene tanks.
- Struck-by hazards from flying debris and from working in close proximity to a crane while not wearing protective helmets
The company also failed to develop and utilize a safety and health program. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Waterfront Construction Inc. is a construction contractor that employed three workers at this jobsite and four workers nationwide.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
