Milton, W.Va. (WSAZ) – During the meeting on Tuesday evening, the city council of Milton emphasized that the security of local workers had a priority.
The council members and the city administrator outlined steps that they would take to improve security, including the increasing training, the purchase of devices and compliance with the state OSHA coverage.
The discussion takes place after the death of the Milton City worker Paul Linville on August 7th. Linville dug a sewer when the ditch collapsed on him and killed him.
A WSAZ examination after Linville's death showed that the city employees in West Virginia are not covered according to state or federal Osha standards, which means that their work does not provide any necessary training, equipment or supervision.
Now Milton city council promises to take a possible step to improve the security of your employees and to prevent a similar tragedy again. The council members Scott Foster and Chase Bryant distributed a letter in which their concerns are listed.
“We owe this to the family of Mr. Linville and must ensure that proper operating safety standards will be implemented in the future,” says the letter. “It is our responsibility towards Milton's citizens to make all efforts to prevent such accidents in the future.”
The steps that the Council consider are the review of security protocols and buying or renting new equipment for your employees. The Council also agreed to start with the process of processing the state -owned OSHA reporting, as permitted after the state code.
“I didn't know that there was something like that,” City Manager Mike Ramsey previously to Wsaz. “I think everyone should have decided, but they know that we are here.”
According to West Virginia's labor department, Milton would be the only political unit that opts for state reporting, and the first to be decided since 2015. The reporting takes 12 months and must be renewed.
Ramsey also announced in the meeting that Milton will organize a practical Osha and a committed room training for the employees as well as all other communities and employees who want to join. The training takes place on September 30th in the old AEP building in Milton and is led by representatives of the EJ Prescott and West Virginia Rural Water Association. Ramsey also said Wsaz that Milton will work with Salt Rock to carry out a monthly training.
The council members said WSAZ that they hope that their process will be a directive for other communities in West Virginia.
“Maybe we can be a benchmark and maybe also a security center for the state of West Virginia,” council member Chase Bryant told Wsaz. “[We hope to] Awareness of everyone in a community that security standards have to be created. Standard operating processes must be created and lived. And hopefully we will choose to reach the Osha standards. “
Copyright 2025 WSAZ. All rights reserved.