Oklahoma Contractor Faces Willful Citations After Worker Fatally Injured
OSHA issued the citations and a $370K penalty to the paving company.
- By Alex Saurman
- May 06, 2022
OSHA found a company’s failure to lockout/tagout a machine contributed to a fatal injury of an 18-year-old worker.
According to a press release, TJ Campbell Construction Company in Oklahoma failed to control the hazardous energy of a conveyor system in 2021. The system was not locked out/tagged out and suddenly turned on. The worker, an 18-year-old, was clearing debris from the conveyor when he was pulled into a hot asphalt silo.
According to the press release, OSHA investigated the contractor after the incident and cited them for willful citations for failing to train workers on controlling hazardous energy and failing to have a procedure on the matter.
OSHA also cited the company for hazards on walking working surfaces, such as no guarding around “pulleys, chain and sprockets,” a lack of handrails and uncovered holes, as well as citations for “failing to apply energy isolation devices.” The penalties total $370,347.
“A young worker was barely three months on the job when his life was tragically cut short,” said OSHA Area Director Steven Kirby in Oklahoma City said in the press release. “Had TJ Campbell Construction Company provided their workers with the required training on controlling hazardous energy and ensuring proper shutdown before any attempt to remove debris was made, this young man would have ended his workday safely.”
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.