Friday, August 14, 2015

CONTRACTORS IN ROCKLAND AND WESTCHESTER COUNTIES IN NEW YORK FACE $25,300 IN FINES FOR WORKPLACE SAFETY VIOLATIONS IN JULY AND JUNE.


Rockland and Westchester contractors fined for safety lapses

Westchester Stucco owner John Pilenza said OSHA's citations against his firm were unwarranted and he will contest them.


Contractors in Rockland and Westchester counties face $25,300 in fines for workplace safety violations in July and June.

Inspectors from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration levied the biggest fines against two contractors at a construction site at 125 Spencer Place in Mamaroneck, a two-story, mixed-use commercial building with a fitness club on the ground floor.

Westchester Stucco of Mount Vernon was accused of four violations on July 20 totaling $9,600. The violations included general requirements for scaffolds and employee training.

Westchester Stucco owner John Pilenza said OSHA's citations against his firm were unwarranted and he will contest them.

"The OSHA person came and gave fines to us for scaffolds that weren't erected by us and for men who didn't work for us," said Pilenza, a subcontractor on the site whose employees were doing stucco work. "We're an OSHA-certified company and our men are certified in OSHA safety."

Martirano Construction Management of Yonkers was cited for five violations at 125 Spencer Place, including general requirements for scaffolding and training. Martirano also faces $9,600 in fines; the company did not respond to a request for comment about OSHA's accusations.

Americana Construction & Repairs of Mount Vernon was cited for two violations at a work site on Park Drive in Mount Kisco involving eye and face protection and wiring design. Americana faces a $1,700 fine.

OSHA inspectors visited Daniel Salto's work site in Suffern after receiving a complaint about conditions there. The Haverstraw-based landscaper was cited for two violations stemming from eye, face and head protection; he faces $4,400 in fines.

According to OSHA's website, the cases against the contractors are still open and the violations could be added or deleted and the fine amounts could change.