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Employee fatality leads to OSHA inspection, $135K fine

March 22nd, 2017 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

Employee fatality leads to OSHA inspection, $135K fine

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration continues to enforce workplace health and safety violations. Despite the lack of a permanent leader for the Department of Labor and OSHA itself, the federal regulator is still taking steps to enforce its rules and hold businesses accountable.

A fatality in late August at a concrete plant in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, led to an inspection of the worksite by OSHA staff in the days after the accident. Following OSHA's general timelines to issuing citations, the judgment from the regulator came several months later. The facility was charged with just two violations: one willful, which led to the death, and one repeated. However, the serious nature of the incident and the increase in OSHA's formula for calculating fines meant a significant financial penalty for the company.

Lack of crane safety a major factor
According to local newspaper The Chippewa Herald, deficient crane safety practices were a major factor in the employee's death. Working with a crane to lift a large piece of steel used to make pre-cast septic tanks, the employee was readying the 3,000-pound form before it was used. Due to both a lack of proper precautions and unsafe working practices, the steel form fell from its elevated position and crushed the employee standing below.

The exact progression of events and the point of catastrophic failure haven't been exactly determined. However, according to a report from the Chippewa County Sheriff's department, shared by local news source the Leader-Telegram, a belief exists that existing safety components weren't properly used. The department interviewed employees to gain an understanding of the timeline of events and gather any important details. The report noted a secondary hook on a hoist used to keep the form suspended may not have been fully engaged. Additionally, the second hook lacked a safety latch, which could have contributed to the fatal incident.

OSHA inspectors observed the employee interviews conducted by the sheriff's department for the report and conducted its own investigation, the Leader-Telegram said. OSHA's investigation led to one willful violation related to the presence of hazards that could seriously injure employees or cause them to die, which carried the bulk of the total fine amount - $126,749. The repeated violation was due to a deficiency in how the business conducted energy control procedure inspections, including a yearly look at the overhead cranes. That violation cost the company $9,055.

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