OSHA Proposes Penalties for Fencing Contractor After Worker Trapped Under Equipment Fatally Injured
OSHA said the contractor did not offer PPE and “illegally modified” a piece of equipment.
- By Alex Saurman
- Jan 06, 2023
Following the death of a worker, an OSHA inspection revealed that a fencing contractor did not adhere to safety standards, an OSHA news release shows.
According to the release, the 15-year-old working to install fencing in Texas was fatally injured after they were trapped under heavy equipment. OSHA found that Sheppard Farm and Ranch Services LLC did not train workers in “hazard recognition” for a specific equipment attachment, did not give workers proper PPE and “illegally modified” a piece of equipment, the citations and news release show. The company also allegedly did not report the death in a timely manner in accordance with requirements.
In total, OSHA proposed $20,512 in penalties for the farm and ranch fencing company.
“This tragic event cut short a worker’s life before they reached adulthood,” said OSHA Area Director Elizabeth Linda Routh in Lubbock, Texas, in the news release.
“This deadly incident might have been prevented had legally required standards—proven methods for protecting workers from serious construction industry hazards—been followed,” Routh continued.
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.