Roofing Company Superintendent Faces OSHA Obstruction Charges (RARE)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Occupational Hazards

By Katherine Torres

A superintendent employed at an Illinois roofing company faces federal criminal charges for allegedly obstructing OSHA's investigation of an incident involving the death of employee Walter “Boe” Whipple, who fell 16 feet through a skylight in Oct. 2007.

Media reports cited a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of Illinois in Rock Island against company superintendent Stephen Vyncke. The allegations include:

* Altering a work site by placing fall protection equipment on the roof after Whipple's fall.
* Falsely telling an OSHA investigator the fall protection equipment was on the roof prior to Whipple's fall.
*
Instructing a witness he knew would be interviewed by investigators not to reveal the lack of fall protection on the roof prior to the fatal incident.
* Knowingly making false or fictitious statements to an OSHA compliance officer.

“ applauds the U.S. Attorney’s decision to prosecute Vyncke because it sends a strong message that obstructing an OSHA investigation is a serious offense that will not be tolerated,” said OSHA Administrator Edwin Foulke Jr.


Read more: http://www.occupationalhazards.com/News/Article/79583/Roofing_Company_Superintendent_Faces_OSHA_Obstruction_Charges.aspx

[Sam Ervin jret]

1. OMG! OSHA LIVES?