The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found a Fort Walton Beach framing contractor endangered employees by not following federal safety standards for fall and eye protection and other hazards.
Panhandle Guest Design Inc. was issued a citation Oct. 6 by OSHA for two repeat violations and two serious violations, according to a March 30 news release.
“When employers like Panhandle Guest Design Inc. repeatedly ignore established safety regulations, the likelihood of serious injuries or worse increases significantly,” OSHA Area Office Director Jose Gonzalez said in the release. “Without proper protective equipment, this employer’s workers are exposed to deadly falls and possible blindness. No excuse justifies risking employees’ safety and lives.”
The employer failed to ensure employees used the required fall protection and had the proper eye protection while working with nail guns, the release reported. The employer also failed to train workers on the safe operation of powered industrial trucks and didn't ensure wore hard hats while performing framing activities.
In two subsequent inspections at the Santa Rose Beach and Inlet Beach worksites, OSHA inspectors noted three repeat and two serious violations for not complying with federal safety standards for fall and eye protection, the release said. OSHA proposed $82,500 in penalties for the violations found in the three inspections.
This marks the sixth time in 13 months that the same company had been reported by OSHA inspectors, according to the release. The administration previously cited Panhandle Guest Design Inc. twice in October 2021 and once in September 2022 for similar safety issues involving fall hazards and a lack of eye and face protection.
Panhandle Guest Design Inc., Fort Walton Beach-based residential framing contractor, was incorporated in January 2021, the release reported. The company has 15 business days from the receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
