Crane and Grain Service Fined $9,300 Following Worker's Electrocution
OSHA has cited Crane and Grain Service LLC of York, Neb., for alleged violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The agency cited the company following an investigation into a fatal incident in which a 23-year-old foreman for the company was electrocuted from an improperly wired flexible cord; he had been assembling a grain bin on a farm near York. The inspection found three alleged serious violations of the OSH Act.
"This accident was preventable," said Charles Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. "Employers need to be proactive in addressing safety issues to ensure their workplaces are safe and healthful."
OSHA said the alleged serious violations stem from the employer using a flexible cord that was not properly wired, improper use of ladders that were damaged, and lack of ladder training. The agency issues a serious citation when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard about which an employer knew or should have known.
The violations carry $9,300 in proposed penalties against the company. It has 15 business days from receipt of these citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Omaha, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.