What about this?

[kurt]

http://journalstar.com/business/local/f ... 31179.html

[Bain]

It IS a good idea to make the cowboys protect themselves, but the fines seem wicked excessive.

I wonder who ultimately makes the seemingly arbitrary decision about whether to give the offender relief?

[davidmcg]

I wonder who ultimately makes the seemingly arbitrary decision about whether to give the offender relief?

A government employee makes the decision. No problem, they are here to help, right?

[AHI in AR]

Keep in mind that OSHA is a self-funding group. In other words, if they don't levy fines, they go out of "business."

As a former small volume builder -- constructing fewer than 5 custom homes a year, I could have been fined thousands of dollars if a sub brought in an extension cord with a hardware store plug on it. Or similarly harmless stuff -- even if I wasn't on site at the moment and knew nothing about it. Or if I didn't have MSDS posted for EVERYTHING that might show up on the job site -- even normal things like sand (Really!) Or WD-40.

Absurd, and one of the factors in my decision to quit building.

[kurt]

Me too.

[Marc]

I cannot set foot in any workplace where OSHA rules are enforced. The rules make it virtually impossible for a person unable to hear to be compliant. That's why about 10 of my nearest neighbors have a career job with oil service companies but the door has been firmly shut in my face for 40 years. I framed houses in Atlanta in 2 1/2 years. Learned nearly everything there was to learn about wood framing. OSHA thinks the residential constuction industry needs their rules to make it safe? That's the biggest baloney I've ever heard. It's inexperienced employees that's responsible for the vast majority of injuries. What's OSHA gonna do about carpenters that hit their thumb with the hammer? Wear boxing gloves? Aw hell. Dang Guvmint. Safety should stay with the boss on the job that knows where the danger is than with an OSHA employee that can't hit the nail on the head, much less tell a straight claw from a curved claw.

Marc

[Marc]

I recall a time when I was on a roof nailing decking and was really nervous about an accident involving someone falling off. It was the one instance where we had to wear a harness with a rope because the owner was pushing OSHA compliance. The ropes make it easy for someone to trip on them and start the slide down, either your own rope or someone below you. It's nuts.

Marc

[Mark P]

They must be making a fuss around here. Twice in the past month I've had builders give me a hard hat to wear while doing my inspection of a completed home. In 6 years this is a first. Besides the fact the houses were 100% complete I tried to explain that I was self employed, not a sub-contractor and did not fall under OSHA'a rules. I'm not sure if that is true or not, but the builders really wanted me to wear the hat - so I did - utill the left.

[Darren]

The company I'm with has a safety consultant who walked the site 2 weeks ago. He found minor problems which included:

1) no safety goggles on the carpenters screwing in Densglass.

Now, you don't need goggles for drywall (the paperface holds in the dust) but you do need them for Densglass. Go figure

2) some masons were not wearing gloves. Seems the mortar can cause skin irritation.

3) laser level in use (10 feet off the ground) without signs warning people that a laser could harm you if you have direct eye contact.

Everyone knows if you follow OSHA regulations to a 'T', no one could afford to build anymore.

[kurt]

I think requiring safety glasses, hard hats, reflective vests, hearing and breathing protection, sounds reasonable. Minimum mandatory training on some jobs; a powerpoint would be fine to alert folks to safety concerns.

After that, I think it gets a bit intrusive. Sites are inherently dangerous; people have to learn how to be safe.....you can't legislate it.