Officials of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration say the death of an electrical contractor’s jobsite manager last June while working on storm recovery efforts in Alabama could have been prevented if the firm had taken safety measures.
OSHA, a unit of the Dept. of Labor, issued seven serious violations and one other violation Dec. 17 to Birmingham, Ala.-based electrical contractor Dexter Fortson Associates Inc., proposing it pay $84,789 in penalties.
The 44-year-old employee headed a three-person crew working to restore power to natural gas pumps in Coaling, Ala., on June 19 following storms. While repairing a broken switch, he was electrocuted. Investigators said the switch had been energized.
Officials did not name the person who was killed.
According to OSHA, Dexter Fortson Associates failed to test electrical protective equipment, adequately train workers about hazards, conduct annual inspections, provide adequate job briefings, remove live-line tools from service after two years, prevent employees from bringing a conductive object close to exposed energized parts, or ensure all equipment was de-energized or tagged.
“Electrical work is inherently dangerous, and industry employers must ensure basic safety standards are met to prevent a needless tragedy like this,” said Joel Batiz, OSHA area director, in a statement.
Dexter Fortson Associates did not immediately respond to ENR's inquiries. The contractor has 15 business days after receiving the citations to either comply, request a conference with OSHA or contest the findings.
