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Verizon will be changing the way it operates on job sites after a worker was electrocuted to death in Brooklyn last fall, according to the New York Daily News. The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Verizon with multiple safety violations uncovered in a probe after Douglas Lalima died in the accident.
Lalima was working on exposed wires from a cherry picker when he was shocked. The bucket he was in ignited, and he died at the scene. OSHA cited Verizon with 10 violations and issued fines totaling $140,700—the maximum allowed for an electrocution. Verizon also failed to ensure that employees wore helmets and gloves.
“Verizon’s culture of indifference puts profits over worker’s safety,” said Chris Shelton, Vice President of the Communications Workers of America District 1. “There is no way to sugarcoat this: If Douglas Lalima had the proper equipment and training, he would still be alive today.”
Employers are responsible for their workers’ safety on the job site. This includes providing proper equipment and training. When employers take shortcuts, tragedies such as this occur.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus workers comp attorneys.