NH tree company fined $12,500 in worker's death

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TMW

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NH tree company fined $12,500 in worker\'s death

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_ham..._workers_death/

June 8, 2008

KINGSTON, N.H.—An East Kingston, New Hampshire, tree removal company is paying $12,500 in federal fines for workplace hazards that led to a worker's death.

more stories like thisThe Labor Department reached a settlement with Buzzell Tree Service that downgrades two of nine violations.

Labor officials initially fined the company $19,250 after an 82-foot pine tree fell on 22-year-old Jon LaVigueur of Kingston on Aug. 7. LaVigueur died of his injuries.

LaVigueur and three other men were pulling a rope tied to the tree while another worker used a chain saw to cut into the trunk.

Federal officials cited the business for a lack of employee training and safety equipment, and said the business should have known about the potential hazards on its work site.

Police are still investigating the death.
 
Re: NH tree company fined $12,500 in worker\'s deat

And how much would the training and safety equipment cost? Shortsighted business practices cost this kid his life. The fine is still insufficient....
 
Re: NH tree company fined $12,500 in worker\'s deat

Treehumper,

I concur with your assessment on training.

However, the fines levied in these cases aren't punishment for the death, but for the shortcomings of the safety program. It is easy to try to equate the fine with the value of the lost life, but it doesn’t work that way with OSHA citations.

TMW
 
Re: NH tree company fined $12,500 in worker\'s deat

Should have never came to this. The proper equipment and training should have been made availabe to the workers.

You cant put a price on lives, and you cant disprove how important/valuable safety training is.
 
Re: NH tree company fined $12,500 in worker\'s deat

Remember that the fines have a limit. There is a ceiling for each class of fine:

Serious = $7000.00 for each offense
Willful or repeat = $70,000.00 for each offense.
 
Re: NH tree company fined $12,500 in worker\'s deat

I think this where the quote "Training is not expensive...It's PRICELESS" comes in...
 
Re: NH tree company fined $12,500 in worker\'s deat

Agreed! The unfortunate truth is that OSHA doesn't have a higher fine where a fatality occurs due to a safety infraction. The only recourse would be civil litigation by the family of the deceased or does Workers' comp. cover this?
 
Re: NH tree company fined $12,500 in worker\'s deat

Although the laws differ from state to state, a work-related fatality is covered by Worker's Compensation death benefits.
 
Re: NH tree company fined $12,500 in worker\'s deat

Same here with the criminal charges, but it doesn't happen often.
 
Re: NH tree company fined $12,500 in worker\'s deat

until shareholders, CEOs and all other that benefit directly from the profits companies make are held to account then safety will take a backseat to those profits. While the executive and shareholders may implement "policy" the bottomline rules and thus affects the way in which those the do the actual work are compensated. Usually with performance clauses that circumvent the safety policies. In the end, the distance between the executive suite, shareholders and the workplace is too great for anything but profit analysis. Close the gap with real penalties at the top.
 
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