Pennsylvania Company Cited by OSHA for Worker Crushed by Pavement Roller

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a Pennsylvania company with 18 serious safety violations after a worker was crushed by a pavement roller and killed in August 2012.

Proposed penalties for Export Fuel Co. of Export, PA total over $41,000. Violations include fall and electrical hazards, lack of machine and equipment guarding, lack of energy control procedures, the company’s failure to provide employee training in the maintenance and operation of construction vehicles and a safe exit.

Referring to the accident, Christopher Robinson, director of the OSHA Pittsburgh Area Office, said, “Training workers to recognize and address hazards is essential, and Export Fuel failed to train its workers on the operation and maintenance of the pavement roller, which ultimately led to a worker’s death.

As Mr. Robinson pointed out in his quote above, workers who are using equipment like a pavement roller or other construction equipment should be trained not only on how to operate them, but also how to operate them safely to avoid injury. But some companies may cut corners during training in order to get the employee working as soon as possible. If you’ve been injured on the job because your employee passed over safety training, you may have a case. Contact the workers’ comp attorneys at O’Connor Law for a free review of your case.