OSHA Fines Electrical Contractor After Severe Worker Injury
Smith’s Electrical Service & Repair LLC faces $93,566 in proposed penalties.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Mar 05, 2024
Alabama-based electrical contractor Smith’s Electrical Service & Repair LLC faces OSHA penalties following an incident where a young electrician suffered critical injuries.
According to a release dated Feb. 28, OSHA issued fines totaling $93,566 on the Camp Hill-based company after an investigation revealed that the company willfully neglected industry-standard safety procedures. On September 26, 2023, a 22-year-old worker sustained arc flash burns at an Auburn work site. The worker was handling wires through an electrical cabinet that was not properly de-energized, causing a dangerous arc flash.
OSHA cited Smith’s Electrical Service & Repair with a willful violation for allowing employees to work with energized electrical cabinets, exposing them to shock and burn hazards. In addition, the company received three serious violations, including the failure to train workers in recognizing and avoiding electrical hazards, permitting untrained employees to work on live electrical cabinets, and failure to provide protective equipment.
“The employer unnecessarily exposed workers to the hazards created when working with energized, electrical cabinets. Their actions tragically resulted in a worker suffering burn injuries that may require life-long attention and care,” OSHA Area Office Director Jose A. Gonzalez in Mobile, Alabama, said in a statement “This awful incident should never have happened. Using safe electrical work practices can save lives and avoid unnecessary incidents such as this one.”
Smith’s Electrical Service & Repair—which employs 25 workers—now has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference or contest the agency’s findings.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.