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Oregon OSHA has fined Hillsboro contractor Arm & Hammer Construction $25,870 for multiple violations of workplace safety rules, including repeated failures to protect workers from fall hazards.

The citation against the company resulted from an inspection conducted under Oregon OSHA’s emphasis program on fall hazards in construction. The prevention-based program includes direction to inspectors to act based on observations while in the field.

The inspection of Arm & Hammer Construction centered on a Portland jobsite where a multistory residential building was under construction. Oregon OSHA’s inspection found multiple employees working on second-floor decking exposed to uncontrolled falls – as high as 10 feet – to a lower level.

It was the fourth time over the past two years, according to Oregon OSHA, that the company violated a rule that requires employers to implement fall protection systems at jobsites when employees are exposed to a hazard of falling 6 feet or more to a lower level.

Oregon OSHA’s citation against Arm & Hammer Construction included the following violations: failure to ensure that two fiberglass extension ladders were free from structural defects when used by employees to work on the second-floor decking ($535 penalty); failure to ensure employees used eye or face protection while operating pneumatic nail guns ($185 penalty); a repeat violation of failure to ensure that ladders, when used by employees to access the second-floor decking, had at least 3 feet of side rail extended past the upper landing ($375 penalty); a fourth repeat violation of failure to ensure that a fall protection system was provided and implemented when employees were exposed to a hazard of falling 6 feet or more to a lower level ($24,375 penalty); a repeat violation of failure to have a written certification record to verify that each employee assigned to work at heights greater than 6 feet was trained to recognize the hazards of falling and understand the procedures to follow to minimize those hazards ($200 penalty); and a repeat violation of failure to document and maintain a written record of safety meetings – including the dates of those meetings – during which hazards were identified and discussed ($200 penalty).

The total penalty issued against Arm & Hammer Construction included a standard penalty reduction based on the company’s small size. Under Oregon OSHA’s rules, penalties multiply when employers commit repeat offenses.

Employers have 30 calendar days after receiving a citation to file an appeal. Arm & Hammer Construction indicated that it plans to appeal.