For Immediate Release
Wednesday, May 27, 1998
Citations Issued Against Architect of the Capitol for Unsafe Work Environment
WASHINGTON —A series of investigations conducted by the Office of Compliance concerning workplace safety on Capitol Hill have resulted in three citations against the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) for serious workplace violations.
The investigation was conducted after the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Council 26 filed a request for inspection under the Congressional Accountability Act with the Office of Compliance. The complaint concerned a February 11, 1998 incident, where workers were made to sift through bales of trash and recyclables without protective gear.
The citations issued by the Office of Compliance alleges violations of Section 215 of the Congressional Accountability Act which requires an employer to provide a safe work place for employees and comply will all Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) regulations. "The Architect of the Capitol’s office is not exempt from abiding by OSHA standards and must be held accountable for their actions," said Carl Goldman, executive director, AFSCME Council 26. "Their blatant negligence is a matter of life or death for AOC employees."
After on-site inspections of trash and sorting areas in the Cannon and Rayburn House Office Buildings inspectors found that:
- Personal protective equipment for hands and lower arms, adequate to protect employees from sustaining injuries such as cuts and lacerations, was not used when employees dug through trash containing broken glass and sharp metal objects with their hands.
Personal protective equipment for the feet, adequate to protect employees from sustaining injuries such as cuts and punctures when stepping on sharp objects or impact injuries if materials fell on their feet, was not used by employees in the trash sorting and bailing areas who were exposed to these hazards. - Personal protective equipment for the eyes and face adequate to protect employees for sustaining injuries from chemicals that might be sprayed on them when aerosol cans compressed in the baler ruptured, were not provided and worn by the baler operators.
- The employer, who had employees with occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials, did not establish and follow a written Exposure Control Plan designed to minimize or eliminate such exposure.
- An electronic device, such as an interlock, that would prevent a ram compression stroke if the baler door locks were not fully engaged, was not provided to protect baler operators and other employees working in the vicinity of the baler. Without such a device the doors of the baler can fly open during a ram compression strike, making it possible for either doors or the contents of the baler to strike and injure employees.
- Safety instructions signs were not used where there was a need for general instructions and suggestions relative to safety measures.
The point of operation of the compactor was not guarded to prevent employees from having any part of their body in the danger zone during the operating cycle.
"The fact that we were forced to put our safety and health at risk for newspaper clippings was very degrading and should never have happened, said AOC employee Bill Gardiner. I hope that the ruling from the Office of Compliance will make the Architect of the Capitol think twice before making such a demeaning request of its employees without putting safety first."
The Architect of the Capitol has until June 10, to correct personal protective equipment violations and June 26, to address safety measures concerning bailing equipment.
