investigate wrote on June 25, 2008 04:54 PM: corruption, concerned!!!

concerned wrote on June 25, 2008 04:19 PM: One needs to look at the rules and note quote from others who are uneducated. In the pre-ambles, OSHA clearly states that the EMPLOYER is responsible for providing a workplace free from known and potential hazards. The last time that I looked, iron workers are not the employee's of Perini. It further states that "employees shall follow the rules...". And if you take it one step further, the iron workers handbook, signed by the unions, states that they will plank or net openings more than 30 feet. So, who is violating the rules? Perini isn't doing the iron work, SME, Schuff steel, Southwest Steel, are doing it. Let's face it, a death is hard to deal with, but facts are facts. Rusty was NOT tied off. He had a harness and lanyard on. There was an approved anchor point about 3 feet away. He knew he was supposed to be tied off. He choose not to and paid the price. Before everyone shouts that MGM and/or Perini is at fault, you need to read and understand how the rules are applied. One final thought for all you, if Perini and/or MGM is at fault, then why isn't OSHA (NV State and Federal) finding more violations with them than they are with the different trades working out there. Because the individual companies ARE responsible.

undr cvr wrote on June 25, 2008 01:44 PM: 'Perini, Perini, Perini'... the best thing that could come out of this is the PATTERN AND PRACTICE of repeat offenses and fines being cleared time and time again.

So blatent, that corruption is the first thing that comes to mind; and that PUBLIC CORRUPTION is involved.

If this was a hearing in NEVADA and not a federal matter...guess what folks?

This is a good thing.

Deborah wrote on June 25, 2008 12:09 PM: If you are worried about losing a job for confronting safety, then you do not need to be there. Why do you think we have so many infected citizens from that hepatitis infection. I'll tell you, becaue people were more concerned for their jobs then for the lives being treated,the nurses and other workers had to have known what was happening for the last 4years . Same with this construction problem. We are the people and we are the workers that make these places run. Stand-up people.

pete wrote on June 25, 2008 11:59 AM: Someone should check out the accidents to some of George Coles workers while he was a contractor. Saftey concernes didn't seem to bother him then. A good example of the pot calling the kettel black.

Dona wrote on June 25, 2008 10:59 AM: This is a complex issue on so many levels, and I'm certain most in this industry both grieves for these losses and have experienced what I have: You may be a trained professional, and have a strong desire to utlize appropriate safety equipment and procedures; however, if the contractor or sub for whom you work actively prohibits you from doing so, and happily explains that no matter how many fines OSHA issues, they have no authority to collect and therefore are not a real problem, and if you really need the job, you don't have a lot of choices. I was personally told by a supervisor that if I said "OSHA" out loud within the hearing of Management, I would be immediately dismissed from my position. So most of us "go along" hoping and praying that we will not die while trying to earn enough money to pay for the gas to get to the jobsite, or to get our homes out of foreclosure.

Sal Saveg wrote on June 25, 2008 10:06 AM: Felicity, I truly am sorry for your loss. I is always tough to mourn for a loved one and can be even worse when his or her death is an issue in a public forum.

I can't vouch for the intent of the other posters here, but I think I know what they are trying to say...

From what you stated, your uncled died do to somebody on the job site ignoring safety procedures. Safety procedures that all union members are taught before they are set loose on the job site. The general frustration in this forum is that way too many accidents happen involving 'professional' union workers. We can try to blame the companies and OSHA, but the bottom line is that the responsibility for a safe work envioroment is up the workers on the job site. As the temporary walk-out showed. The workers have the power, they just need to use it or be held accountable when they don't.

Felicity Lemmon wrote on June 25, 2008 07:50 AM: My Uncle was killed at City Center. My father testified at the hearing. To everyone out there that keeps saying he should have been tied off, let me educate you. First Rusty was working on a working floor. In the OSHA safety manual it states that it is not required for anyone to be tied off on a working floor because it is that a " working floor". The person or persons who exposed the hole by pulling up the decking on this working floor was required to place a barrier around this hole, which was never done. Therefor the hole should have never been exposed and if it was barricaded then my Uncle would have never fell through this hole to his death. So before you blame the worker for not taking safety precautions be sure you know the facts. In this case he was not required to use a safety harness. This is and was Pernini's fault. OSHA does let Perini off the hook all the time, the reason for this is money and the insurance carriers don't care either. Did you know it's cheaper for a company to have a man die than be injured on a jobsite?

John wrote on June 25, 2008 07:18 AM: Fines are reduced because the employer is able to show that the employee was trained but ignored his safety training. As for the iron workers, this safety standard was written by their industry, so maybe they need to address this issue again. I work many construction sites and employees constantly ignore the safety standards, especially when working from heights, but of course it is always someone else's fault. Many of the unions will not send certain workers to a job site that does drug testing and if they do test positive they just go to the union and are sent to another job site. As a community we all have to do a better job with safety on the job. Unions and employers need to train better, employers need to have strict compliance with safety standards and there must be severe reprocussions with non compliance. Employees must take personal responsibility for their safety and follow the rules, don't take short cuts and constantly look for safety hazards. I constantly hear that accidents just happen, this attitude gets people killed, there is always a root cause to any accident and 99.9% of the time they are avoidable.

Bill Blue wrote on June 25, 2008 05:53 AM: Like everything in life, there's two sides to every story. OSHA usually doesn't let contractors off without reason. Much less their insurance carriers not make them provide training.

My question is why wasn't the iron worker using his safety devices. If you investigate a lot of accidents workers ignore training and put themselves into peril.

Read All Comments