Search

NJ CEO Found Personally Liable for Company’s $412K OSHA Violations

Posted on 8/12/2019 by Lauren Scott

On July 25, the US Court of Appeals found a CEO personally liable for his company’s $412k OSHA penalty if the New Jersey construction company refuses to pay.

The Federal appeals court found both the company and its CEO in contempt of court for failing to pay the penalty. If either the CEO or the company fail to pay the $412,000 within 30 days or show the court why they cannot do so, the secretary of labor may issue a daily penalty.

The court cites the construction company’s failure to pay the penalties as part of its decision to hold the CEO personally accountable for the fine.

The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the penalty to the Washington Township-based construction company for numerous workplace safety violations, including multiple willful violations of OSHA’s fall protection standards.
 

Fall Hazards in the Construction Industry

Fall protection in the construction industry ranks as the #1 most-cited OSHA safety standard year after year. In FY 2018, OSHA cited more than 7,000 fall protection violations. That said, general industry employers must protect workers from fall hazards as well. OSHA requires fall protection be provided for employees working at elevations of four feet or more in general industry workplaces. Employers must also take steps to prevent falls into or onto dangerous machines or equipment, regardless of height.

For information about protecting general industry workers from fall hazards, visit OSHA’s dedicated webpage for non-construction work.
 

Safety Training Is the Best Accident Prevention

When your employees know the regulations behind safety procedures, they are less likely to cut corners, reducing the chance of accidents and preventing costly OSHA violations. That’s why Lion offers a full suite of online OSHA Safety Training courses to promote a safe work environment for all employees.

OSHA's Top 10 Most Cited 29 CFR Safety Standards (FY 2018)

1. Fall Protection—Construction (29 CFR 1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication or HazCom (29 CFR 1910.1200)
3. Scaffolds General Requirements—Construction (29 CFR 1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134)
5. Lockout/Tagout (29 CFR 1910.147)
6. Ladders—Construction (29 CFR 1926.1053)
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (29 CFR 1910.178)
8. Fall Protection—Training Requirements (29 CFR 1926.503)
9. Machine Guarding (29 CFR 1910.212)
10. Eye and Face Protection—Construction (29 CFR 1926.95) 


For workers who may be more comfortable learning in an alternative language, many OSHA safety courses are now available in Spanish. If an employee receives job instructions Spanish, then training should be conducted in Spanish as well. Visit Lion.com/Spanish to see the full list of online Spanish-language safety training courses.
 

Tags: employee, enforcement, occupational safety, osha, penalty, safety, safety violations, worker, workplace safety

Find a Post

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

The instructor made the class very enjoyable and catered to the needs of our group.

Sarah Baker

Planner

The instructor was probably the best I ever had! He made the class enjoyable, was humorous at times, and very knowledgeable.

Mary Sue Michon

Environmental Administrator

I can take what I learned in this workshop and apply it to everyday work and relate it to my activities.

Shane Hersh

Materials Handler

Lion is easily and consistently the best option for compliance training. I've learned new information from every instructor I've had.

Rachel Mathis

EHS Specialist

The instructor had knowledge of regulations and understanding of real-world situations. The presentation style was engaging and fostered a positive atmosphere for information sharing.

Linda Arlen

Safety & Environmental Compliance Officer

The course was very well structured and covered the material in a clear, concise manner.

Ian Martinez

Hazmat Shipping Professional

Well designed and thorough program. Excellent summary of requirements with references. Inclusion of regulations in hard copy form, as well as full electronic with state pertinent regulations included is a great bonus!

Oscar Fisher

EHS Manager

Very good. I have always appreciated the way Lion Tech develops, presents and provides training and materials.

John Troy

Environmental Specialist

The instructor was great, explaining complex topics in terms that were easily understandable and answering questions clearly and thoroughly.

Brittany Holm

Lab Supervisor

Very witty instructor, made the long times sitting bearable. One of the few training courses I can say I actually enjoyed.

John Hutchinson

Senior EHS Engineer

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

What to do before, during, and after a RCRA hazardous waste inspection to defend your site from rising State and Federal penalties.

Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.