An OSHA examination found that a forklift accident that killed a Massachusetts man last summer could have been prevented by his employer, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. On Aug. 29, 2023, an Oxford Airport technical services employee was attempting to drive a forklift into a building at Logan Airport when the vehicle's forks and block struck the overhang of the doorway, causing the forklift to overturn, the Labor Department said. The forklift operator, who was not wearing a seat belt, fell to the ground and was struck by the overturned vehicle, killing him, according to officials. Sky5 video from the day of the incident shows the forklift fell into a loading area outside Building C, near Gate C26. The forklift operator, a 51-year-old Winthrop man, was working for a subcontractor and doing maintenance work for JetBlue at the time of the accident, Massachusetts authorities said. OSHA inspectors said they found that Oxford Airport Technical Services, a maintenance company based in Rochester, New York, failed to ensure a worker wore a seat belt while operating the forklift, exposing him to rollover and crushing risks. OSHA also determined that forklift forks and booms were only raised to the extent necessary to clear the road surface, the Labor Department said; Not all forklift operators are properly trained and certified; The damaged forklift was not inspected before being placed into service; The damaged forklift was not taken out of service. These violations led OSHA to issue four serious citations against Oxford Airport Technical Services with proposed fines of $46,096. “It prevented someone's life from being lost,” said James Mulligan, an OSHA area director based in Braintree. “In this case, the employer failed to train and certify its forklift operators regarding important safety requirements. It is simply inexcusable. Coverage:
An OSHA inspection has found that a forklift accident that killed a Massachusetts man last summer could have been prevented by his employer, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
On Aug. 29, 2023, an Oxford Airport technical services employee was attempting to drive a forklift into a building at Logan Airport when the forks and block of the vehicle struck the overhang of the doorway, causing the forklift to overturn, the Department of Labor said on Aug. 29, 2023.
Officials said the forklift driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, fell to the ground and was struck by the overturned vehicle, resulting in his death.
Sky5 video from the day of the incident shows the forklift falling into the loading zone outside Terminal C, near Gate C26.
Massachusetts authorities said the forklift operator, a 51-year-old Winthrop man, was working for a subcontractor doing maintenance work for JetBlue at the time of the accident.
OSHA inspectors said they found that Oxford Airport Technical Services, a maintenance company based in Rochester, New York, failed to ensure that a worker was wearing a seat belt while operating the forklift, exposing him to rollover and crushing risks.
OSHA also determined that the forklift forks and blocks were only lifted to the extent necessary to clear the road surface, the Labor Department said; Not all forklift operators are properly trained and certified; The damaged forklift was not inspected before being placed into service; The damaged forklift was not taken out of service.
These violations led to an OSHA issuance Four serious quotes against Oxford Airport Technical Services with proposed fines of $46,096.
“Every workplace fatality is tragic, especially when there were known safety measures that could have prevented the loss of someone's life,” said James Mulligan, OSHA's area director, based in Braintree. “In this case, the employer failed to train and certify its forklift operators regarding important safety requirements. It is simply inexcusable.”
Oxford Airport Technical Services has 15 business days from the date of receipt of the citations and penalties to either comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or object to the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Panel, the Labor Department said.
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