Lanford Brothers Company, Inc. out of Marion, VA has been issued five citations and penalties over $300K from Virginia Occupational Safety and Health. The citations were issued for exposing workers to respirable crystalline silica hazards while using jackhammers to remove concrete from bridge piers. The five citations were issued over a 6 month period between February and August of 2018. Two citations were labeled “Serious”, and three citations were labeled “Willful-Serious”. Citations listed below.
Citation 1 Item 1 Type of Violation: Serious
1926.102(a)(1): Lanford Brothers Company, Inc., did not ensure that each affected employee (including the superintendent) wore appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles. Employees wore sunglasses that were not approved (ANSI Z-87) safety eyewear while operating and/or observing jackhammers to remove concrete from the bridge deck of the Exit 45 Bridge (northbound bridge) of I-81 at Marion, Virginia, on May 16, 2018.
Citation 1 Item 2 Type of Violation: Serious
1926.1153(i)(1): Lanford Brothers Company, Inc., did not ensure that each employee is trained in accordance with the provisions of HCS and paragraph (i)(2) of this section. The employer shall ensure that at least the following hazards are addressed: Cancer, lung effects, immune system effects, and kidney effects. A temporary employee working under the direct and exclusive supervision of Lanford Brothers Company, Inc., management removed concrete from the deck of the Exit 45 bridge (northbound bridge) of I-81 at Marion, Virginia, without any training related to silica hazards. This hazard was noted on May 16, 2018.
Citation 2 Item 1 Type of Violation: Willful-Serious
1926.1153(c)(1): Lanford Brothers Company, Inc., did not fully and properly implement the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection specified for the task on Table 1 (x).
a) Employees were required or scheduled to work > 4 hours/shift operating jackhammers to remove concrete from the bridge piers of the Exit 45 bridge (northbound bridge) of I-81 at Marion, Virginia, without the use of wet methods. This hazard was noted on February 20, 2018.
b) Employees were required to work > 4 hours/shift operating jackhammers to remove concrete from the bridge deck of the Exit 45 bridge (northbound bridge) of I-81 at Marion, Virginia, without using respiratory protection. This hazard was noted on May 16, 2018.
Citation 2 Item 2 Type of Violation: Willful-Serious
1926.1153(d)(2)(i): Lanford Brothers Company, Inc., did not assess the exposure of each employee who is or may reasonably be expected to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level in accordance with either the performance option in paragraph (d)(2)(ii) or the scheduled monitoring option in paragraph (d)(2)(iii) of this section. This hazard was noted on February 20, 2018, and May 16, 2018, when employees were exposed to respirable crystalline silica while removing concrete from the Exit 45 Bridge (northbound bridge) of I-81 at Marion, Virginia.
Citation 2 Item 3 Type of Violation: Willful-Serious
1926.1153(e)(1)(i): Lanford Brothers Company, Inc., did not provide adequate respiratory protection, medical evaluations/clearance, or proper respirator use that complies with 1910.134 where required by Table 1 of paragraph (c) (x) of this section. Employees were required or scheduled to work >4 hours/shift operating jackhammers to remove concrete from the bridge piers of the Exit 45 bridge (northbound bridge) of I-81 at Marion, Virginia, with disposable half-mask respirators on February 20, 2018; but the employees had not been provided medical evaluations in compliance with 1910.134(e)(1), fit testing in compliance with 1910.134(f), and had facial hair that did not comply with 1910.134(g)(1)(i)(A).
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