An Alabama industrial concrete construction contractor violated several federal workplace safety regulations when a 65-year-old employee was fatally crushed by a four-ton shipping container near Tuscaloosa, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Tuesday.
The employee of Moundville-based Ballard Contractors Inc. was guiding an 8,575-pound shipping container into place when one of the chains used to lift the box snapped, according to OSHA.
Ballard Contractors violated four federal safety regulations that led to the employee’s death, OSHA said: failing to ensure rigging equipment was rated properly to handle the container’s weight; permitting an employee to work near or beneath a moving load while moving a container; allowing workers to use steel chain slings and a four-way chain lift without identification plates attached or load ratings indicated; failing to perform periodic inspections of slings; and not ensuring fall protection was in place while workers connected rigging equipment to an overhead crane at heights of 11 feet.
“Ballard Contractors failed in its legal responsibility to provide its employees with a safe work environment, especially when it comes to dealing with the serious dangers of handling heavy loads,” said OSHA Area Office Director Joel Batiz in Birmingham “OSHA standards exist to help prevent tragedies such as this from occurring. Employers must recognize their duty to ensure the safety of their employees.”
Ballard Contractors received citations for eight violations related to its failures to protect workers from fall, struck-by and crushed-by hazards, OSHA said.
“We urge employers to contact OSHA to help them fully understand their obligations,” added Batiz. “Our team has many resources to guide them in developing safety plans, identifying workplace hazards and doing all that can be done to make sure employees end their shifts safely.”
Ballard, founded in 1986, specializes in commercial and industrial concrete construction and provides services that include slab on grade, foundations and tilt-up placements; exterior paving; curb and gutter construction, as well as structural concrete work and saw cutting.