Jersey City Medical Center Fined After Worker Fatality
OSHA has cited the medical center for one willful and four serious safety violations. The case involves $174,593 in proposed penalties.
Jersey City Medical Center RWJ Barnabas Health has been issued citations for one willful and four serious safety violations by OSHA, according to its news release, which said the case involves $174,593 in proposed penalties. The citations were given after a worker died from falling off a ladder July 17, 2016.
An investigation by OSHA determined the medical center required employees to change ballasts without the proper lockout/tagout training necessary to disable the machinery in order to prevent a hazardous energy release. A willful violation was given for this.
Serious violations were given due to the center's failure to make sure de-energized circuits were locked out, as well as its failure to provide PPE and maintain lockout/tagout procedures.
"This worker's tragic death was preventable. Jersey City Medical Center did not have basic lockout/tagout safeguards in place to prevent exposure to electrical hazards and failed to train its maintenance workers on these safeguards. As a result, the worker sustained an electrical shock while changing the ballast, fell approximately 6 feet off a ladder, and died from his injuries," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Parsippany Area Office.