NJ company asked to pay up thousands after OSHA violations

BERKELEY — A Berkeley Township incident from January is coming back to headlines, but now some serious cash has to be handed over.

The U.S. Department of Labor has decided to cite New Jersey-based water tower painting company U.S. Tank Painting Inc. with “three willful and 19 serious violations,” OSHA said this week, which is part of the department. They claim the company didn’t supply the needed safety equipment for workers to do the job, among other concerns.

Back in January, New Jersey 101.5 reported about the serious worker injury with various compound fractures after the person fell from a water tower. When the fall happened early this year off Route 9, township police mentioned the worker was “free climbing” inside one of the maintenance tubes.

OSHA said the company now has to come up with over $485,000 in 15 business days because of the violations. The company can also opt to talk with the OSHA area director or challenge the latest developments in front of an independent commission.

“We intend to hold employers responsible when they fail to follow rules put in place to protect the safety and well-being of workers,” OSHA Area Director Paula Dixon-Roderick said.

The citations also resulted from additional shortcomings for its employees, some of which include the absence of:

🔴 Having a “respiratory protection program” for sites
🔴 Having crystalline silica hazard training
🔴 Monitoring exposure to crystalline silica within the paint
🔴 Supplying air monitoring tools
🔴 Knowledge of a water tower rescue plan
🔴 Completion of confined space permits

They say Aqua New Jersey asked U.S. Tank Painting Inc. to do the January work.

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