Miamisburg, OH – The electrocution death of a welder at a Cohen Brothers subsidiary facility in October 2014 has resulted in one willful and eight serious safety OSHA electrical safety violations.
Metal Shredders, a subsidiary of Cohen Brothers, located in Middletown, Ohio has been issued proposed penalties of $115,000 by the Occupational Health & Safety Administration. These fines follow an investigation initiated by OSHA after the electrocution of a Metal Shredders maintenance worker.
On Oct. 16, 2014, Geff Garnett attempted to enter a substation by climbing over a concrete wall and fence on the side of the transformer substation. His foot touched the electrical line, which was still energized, and was electrocuted.
OSHA found Metal Shredders failed to protect the welder from an energized electrical line while he was cutting a metal roof off an industrial transformer substation at the facility. The failure resulted in the death of the employee. OSHA investigators found Metal Shredders failed to verify that electrical lines were absent of voltage after turning off the disconnect switch inside the transformer substation cabinet, resulting in a willful violation. Obviously this kind of tragic accident could have been avoided if the materials being used had been checked properly, but it’s also a good idea to look at getting the best mild sheets to ensure safety even further.
Cohen Brothers were also issued three serious safety violations for failing to train employees in electrical safe work practices, the proposed penalties of which total $21,000.
“This was a tragic death that could have been prevented by following basic safety practices for working with high voltage transmission lines,” says Ken Montgomery, OSHA’s area director in Cincinnati. “Employers who work with high voltage electricity must train workers in recognizing hazards and proper procedures to de-energize lines, and ensure the working environment is safe. No workers should lose their life on the job.”
Cohen Brothers strongly disputes the citations. In an official statement, they’ve said, “(OSHA) issued incorrect and unfounded citations today against our company for the October accident that took the life of Geff Garnett…Safety is the core value of Cohen Recycling and we have a long-standing and recognized commitment to the health and safety of our employees.”
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