From: William Thornton
Source: al.com (TNS)
Federal investigators say an Alabama contractor could have done more to prevent the death of a foreman in June during recovery efforts after a storm in Tuscaloosa County.
As a result, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed a $84,789 penalty to Dexter Fortson Associates of Bessemer.
The appealable fines stem from an incident on the afternoon of June 19th in Coaling. According to OSHA, a 44-year-old employee died when he came into contact with a live power line while being lifted in a bucket truck to replace a broken switch. The employee suffered burns to his face, arms and other parts of his body and died at the scene of the accident.
According to investigators, the victim was the foreman of a three-person crew tasked with restoring power to the natural gas pumps.
“Electrical work is inherently dangerous, and employers in the industry must ensure basic safety standards are met to prevent an unnecessary tragedy like this,” said OSHA Birmingham Region Director Joel Batiz. “Now family, friends and colleagues must mourn this terrible loss.”
OSHA investigators concluded that the company exposed its employees to electrical hazards by allowing employees to use expired electrical protective equipment and failing to adequately supervise employees or perform annual inspections.
Additionally, the company failed to provide sufficient information about workplace hazards, associated work procedures, special precautions, energy source controls and required personal protective equipment, OSHA said.
Among other things, investigators said the company allowed workers to work on a faulty circuit breaker without ensuring all equipment was properly de-energized, as required by safety regulations.
Attempts to reach Dexter Fortson for comment were not immediately successful.
The company has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or dispute the findings.
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