Opinion ID: 1634155
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: OSHA Citations

Text: This Court has held that OSHA regulations, if properly introduced, may be admissible for a jury to consider in determining the standard of care that a defendant should have followed. Knight v. Burns, Kirkley & Williams Construction Co., 331 So.2d 651 (Ala.1976). Furthermore, OSHA citations may be used to show a breach of the standard of care. Smith v. International Paper Co., 656 So.2d 355 (Ala.1995). We also note that this Court has recently held that these citations, which are public records, are admissible under a common law exception to the hearsay rule. Smith v. International Paper Co., 656 So.2d 355 (Ala.1995). In support of his argument that Sumlin was negligent, Wyser submitted certain OSHA citations Sumlin had received concerning the lack of guards and railings at other construction sites. One citation had been issued one month before Wyser's accident; it concerned floor openings that were not guarded by standard railings and toeboards or covers. The other citation related to pits or trap door openings that were not guarded by covers of standard strength and construction or removable standard railings, and that citation also stated that [a] fan duct pit was not covered or otherwise guarded, exposing employees to the hazard of falling ten feet to the concrete floor. We opine that these citations are relevant to Wyser's accident. They both involved a lack of proper guarding and railing that exposed employees to the possibility of a fall. Both citations referred to the type of guards and railings that are required. Therefore, the prior OSHA violations were relevant, and evidence of them was properly admitted to show Sumlin's knowledge that proper railings and guards were required at all construction sites and to show that Sumlin knew, or should have known, that it was not meeting applicable OSHA standards.