OSHA Inspection: RICHARD Y. JOHNSON & SON, INC.

Issued

2023-02-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6875.00 · Current $6875.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1926.651(h)(1): Employees were working in excavations in which there was accumulated water, or excavations in which water was accumulating, and adequate precautions had not been taken to protect employees against the hazards posed by water accumulation.  a) Shields Elementary School (Lewes Middle School), 910 Shields Avenue, in Lewes, DE 19958: On or about 8/17/2022 - The employer did not protect employees from the hazards of working in a trench/excavation with standing water. Additionally, the water in the trench/excavation was not determined to be safe from pollutants before requiring employees to enter the water to place various pumps to attempt to remove the water.

Issued

2023-02-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6875.00 · Current $6875.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.651(k)(1):  Daily inspections of excavations, the adjacent areas, and protective systems were not made by a competent person for evidence of a situation that could have resulted in possible cave-ins, indications of failure of protective systems:  a) Shields Elementary School (Lewes Middle School), 910 Shields Avenue, in Lewes, DE 19958: On or about 8/17/2022 ; the employer did not ensure a competent person was on site to make the required inspections prior to employees being directed to enter the trench/excavation.  No protective systems were noted in the trench/excavation or at the site for use during this excavation.

Issued

2023-02-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $6875.00 · Current $6875.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1926.652(a)(1): Each employee in an excavation was not protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system designed in accordance paragraph (b) or (c) of 29 CFR 1926.652.  a) Shields Elementary School (Lewes Middle School), 910 Shields Avenue, in Lewes, DE 19958: On or about 8/17/2022 - the employer failed to protect employees working in a trench/excavation by an adequate protective system. Employees engaged in trenching/excavation work adding two new water retention ponds connected by an underground piped drain on a local school renovation project. Employees were required to enter and work in a trench/excavation with undermined/unsupported structures and standing water not being removed or controlled prior to employee entrance into the trench/excavation. The water increased the potential of collapse exponentially with the continued use of the excavator being used to assist the employee in the trench/excavation.

Issued

2023-02-13 00:00:00

Penalty

Initial $0.00 · Current $0.00

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1926.652(g)(1)(iii):Employees were not protected from the hazard of cave-ins when entering or exiting the area protected by shields:  a) Shields Elementary School (Lewes Middle School), 910 Shields Avenue, in Lewes, DE 19958: On or about 8/17/2022 - the employer did not provide any type of protective system for the employees accessing a trench/excavation exposing the employees to cave ins while they worked in the area. The employees were installing a pipe linking two water retention ponds where a future roadway will be put in place.