Federal investigators say an Alabama contractor could have done more to prevent the death of a foreman in June during storm recovery efforts in Tuscaloosa County.
As a result, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has proposed $84,789 in fines against Dexter Fortson Associates of Bessemer.
The fines, which can be appealed, stem from an incident on the afternoon of June 19 in Coaling. According to OSHA, a 44-year-old worker died when he came into contact with a live power line while sitting in a box truck to replace a broken switch. The worker suffered burns to his face, arms and other parts of his body and died on the spot.
According to investigators, the victim was the foreman of a three-person crew tasked with restoring distribution power to 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 Area Director Joel Batiz. “Now family, friends and colleagues must mourn this terrible loss.”
OSHA investigators determined that the company exposed employees to electrical hazards by allowing employees to use expired electrical protective equipment, and that they failed to adequately supervise employees and conduct annual inspections.
In addition, the company did not provide adequate information about job hazards, associated work procedures, special precautions, controls on energy sources and what personal protective equipment was required, OSHA said.
Among other things, investigators said the company allowed employees to work on a faulty switch without ensuring that all equipment was properly de-energized as required by safety regulations.
Attempts to contact Dexter Fortson for comment were not immediately successful.
The company has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s regional director, or dispute the findings.