Lack of Training, Failure to Abide by Standards Leads to $304K Proposed Penalties for Utah-Based Company
OSHA cited the company following the death of two workers who were buried by coal.
- By Alex Saurman
- Dec 13, 2022
A lack of employee training and not abiding by standards have resulted in citations for three violations and proposed penalties of $304,000 for one Utah-based company.
According to a news release, OSHA initiated an investigation after two workers, employed by Savage Services Corp., died at a site in Pueblo, Colorado. In June 2022, the two workers, along with a third, wanted to ensure that a coal pile was going into a feeder below, so they climbed on the pile, but it shifted. The two workers died after becoming buried in the coal, but the third worker was not injured.
After the investigation found a lack of not following standards and worker training, OSHA proposed citations for two willful violations and one serious violation and proposed penalties of $304,556.
In 2020, another worker at a Savage Services Corp. worksite became stuck when a pile of coal fell onto the bulldozer they were in, according to the news release. Luckily, they evaded death when they were rescued after an hour.
"A near-tragedy at another Savage Services Corp. facility in 2020 made the company acutely aware of the serious hazards for those working around coal piles and yet, two workers’ families, friends and co-workers are now left to grieve," said OSHA Area Director Chad Vivian in Englewood, Colorado, in the news release. "With legally required standard safety practices in place and training provided, the company could have prevented this terrible incident."
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.