MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — The U.S. Department of Labor cited a Mobile equipment manufacturer after investigating the death of a 22-year old worker. William Khemmanivanh died from his injuries sustained when getting caught in a cane trolly’s driveshaft while working with SPI/Mobile Pulley Works Inc. in January.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) concluded the employer failed to make sure employees were removed from the structure of the crane, or the path of any moving components while the crane was in use.
OSHA also found in the inspection 11 violations and two “other-than-serious” violations for the company some include:
- Allowed employees to work near unguarded equipment, which exposed them to struck-by and caught-in hazards
- Failed to conduct periodic inspections of the crane
- Exposed workers to respitory hazards by requirring employees to wear half-masked negative pressure respirators without proper fit tests, and did not provide training on respirator use to minimize the number of employees exposed to respirable crystalline silica
- Failed to provide training on fall protection systems, exposing workers to fall hazards
- Failed to inspect alloy steel chain slings used for rigging
OSHA has proposed an $89,141 fine in penalties.
