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OSHA's Roar Worse than its Bite

OSHA's Roar Worse than its Bite
Almost two and a half years ago, J.P. Carroll Co., came under OSHA's radars when a worker fell off a roof. However, Jim Carroll, still feels that since the construction industry is an inherently dangerous line of work, accidents sometimes just cannot be avoided.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, had accused J.P. Carroll Co. of failing to properly protect its workers and employees from falls. Carroll on the other hand, is very satisfied with the fact that his work sites are safe. But what really keeps him up at night, is the nagging feeling that his firm is the target of heightened scrutiny by a federal workplace safety agency, that's only looking to make headlines.

The executive director of the Connecticut Roofing Contractors Association, C. Mitchell Sorenson, to which Jim Carroll belongs, said that, “They keep going after the same people,’’ he went on to say that, “They tend to overlook the smaller contractors who are more likely to have unsafe workplaces.’’

The director of the Connecticut Council on Occupational Safety and Health, Fitts, defended OSHA by saying that,“People on the job get put in the situation where they worry about if they complain, they could lose their job,’’ he went on to say that, “This is why better whistle-blower protection for workers who refuse unsafe work is needed so badly - especially now.’’

Finally, the author of OSHA Inspections, Kaletsky, said that, “OSHA has got to be more consistent and look in each case at mitigating factors and look more closely at the probability of injuries and illnesses.’’

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