Three Louisiana Companies Cited for Asbestos Violations
Thursday, June 25th, 2009Three Louisiana employers have been cited $112,000 in penalties for 10 alleged serious violations of federal health and safety rules involving asbestos removal.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Louisiana Health Care Consultants LLC, Dean Building Holdings and Bob Dean Enterprises Inc., jointly for failure to provide proper supervision during the removal of a ceiling containing asbestos and failure to provide respiratory equipment to workers and for not informing them that the work site contained asbestos.
The citations stemmed from work performed at the State National Life Building in downtown Baton Rouge, which is owned by Dean Building Holdings and managed by Bob Dean Enterprises. Louisiana Health Care Consultants specializes in the management and maintenance of nursing homes.
“These companies failed to follow OSHA’s standards for asbestos-related projects in the construction industry,” said Dean McDaniel, the agency’s regional administrator in Dallas. “Employers must be committed to keeping the workplace safe and healthful to prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities.”
Serious violations are issued when there is a substantial probability that death or serious injury could occur from a hazard that the employer knew about or should have known. The companies have a period of time to respond.
