The failure of a contractor based in Stoughton, Massachusetts, to follow adequate safety precautions led to the death of an employee last year, the Department of Labor found in a recent investigation.
On June 13, 63-year-old Roger Porter was leveling gravel at a construction site in Brockton when a Bobcat construction truck's loader bucket fell off the vehicle and pinned him to the ground.
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Porter sustained significant injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene.
Conducted by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Hazard Organization, or OSHA, the investigation determined that LMA Services Company exposed its employees to several hazards while doing excavation work at Brockton Hospital last summer.
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In its investigation, OSHA found that the truck was resting on uneven ground, and the loader bucket, which was elevated, was being used to load and unload crushed stone as Porter worked underneath.
OSHA also says that LMA Services failed to provide subpoenaed illness and injury records within the required timeframe of OSHA's request.
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Following the investigation, OSHA issued LMA Services a willful citation addressing the company's failure to provide its employees with sufficient safety training and a site-specific safety plan. OSHA also filed an other-than-serious citation for not complying with the document subpoena in a timely manner.
OSHA has requested LMA Services pay $142,642 in penalties. The organization has appealed the fine and citations to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
