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The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a Houston-based firm for safety violations following a fatal workplace accident at a job site in Wisconsin, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Joseph Janisch was electrocuted to death on September 17, 2012 as he was installing signs and guardrails for Highway Technologies Inc. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation contracted Highway Technologies Inc. for the project.
Janisch came into contact with live power lines above the highway. OSHA inspected the worksite and declared that Highway Technologies failed to ensure that equipment was not being used a safe distance away from live power lines. Equipment must be at least 6 feet away from power lines when it is being moved. Proposed fines total $448,000. Highway Technologies is no stranger to OSHA fines either; this latest accident will place them in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. OSHA will be conducting follow-ups unannounced.
“Highway Technologies failed to protect its workers from serious electrocution hazards,” says OSHA’s David Michaels.
Please contact our firm for a free consultation if you sustained injuries or got sick at work due to another party’s negligence.
Tip of the week: If you or your crew is working at a new site, be sure to ask management to overview the possible hazards for your safety.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers Comp Attorneys