|
 Printer-Friendly Version
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 693-1999
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today
cited the L.E. Myers Co. for seven alleged safety violations following
investigation of a March 25 fatality that occurred while the company was doing
maintenance work on electrical transmission towers in the Plainfield, Ill.,
area. The proposed penalty totals $423,500.
"We are deeply troubled by the history of fatal accidents
at this company," said Labor Secretary Alexis M. Herman. "Effective safety
programs can and must prevent tragedies like these. The department expects
companies to take the necessary steps to protect workers in dangerous jobs. We
will take appropriate enforcement action to see that they do."
Since 1972, 37 workers have been killed on L.E. Myers jobs,
including 15 who were electrocuted. L.E. Myers has 1,500 employees nationwide;
no other company its size in its industry has as many fatalities.
OSHA's investigation determined that at least three of six
work crews conducting maintenance work on 345,000-volt de- energized steel
transmission towers were exposed to electrical hazards because of improper
grounding of the electrical lines. Although the company had identified an
acceptable grounding procedure in its safety manuals, L.E. Myers had not
trained its crews to use the procedure. Grounding practices actually
implemented by the work crews were inadequate and not in line with current
industry practice.
"Because of the hazardous nature of this work, the law
requires that every worker in this industry must have a thorough briefing on
what hazards exist and how to do the work safely," said OSHA Administrator
Charles N. Jeffress. "By failing to train workers and to enforce company rules
on grounding, L.E. Myers exposed 32 workers to a serious hazard that cost a
journeyman lineman his life and seriously injured an apprentice."
Specifically, OSHA has proposed three alleged willful
instance-by-instance violations for inadequate grounding on three transmission
towers, with a total proposed penalty of $210,000 ($70,000 per tower); three
additional alleged willful violations for inadequate training, failure to
discuss specific electrical hazards and proper grounding procedures at this
site during the pre-job briefing and failure to maintain a minimum approach
distance from electrical lines, with a total proposed penalty of $210,000; and
one alleged serious violation for clothing worn by an employee that could
result in severe burns, with a proposed penalty of $3,500.
Willful violations are those committed with an intentional
disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational
Safety and Health Act and OSHA regulations. A serious violation is defined as
one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical
harm could result, and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.
OSHA has inspected L.E. Myers 83 times, including 37
fatality investigations. The agency has previously cited the company for
similar deficiencies in job briefings, testing and grounding of lines,
maintaining minimum approach distances and personal protective equipment. Less
than three months before the fatality occurred in Plainfield, Ill., another
L.E. Myers worker who was working on the same maintenance contract with
Commonwealth Edison, was killed in Mount Prospect, Ill.
L.E. Myers has 15 working days from receipt of the
citations to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the
independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
| 
