An employee aboard a ship in Florida apparently died after the ship rocked with enormous waves and two tonnes of cargo reportedly crushed him against a wall when it shifted, according to federal officials, as reported by Miami Herald.
The incident
Five huge rolls of paper, each measuring about 7 feet in height, were reportedly being loaded into the M/V Weserborg’s cargo hold by three workers using a crane from a dock. According to the US Department of Labor, the disaster took place in Panama City on September 11, 2022.
According to the officials, an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration showed that the crane operator at the time did not have a clear view of the workers in the cargo hold.
According to the DOL, the 28-year-demise old’s would have been avoided if the employer, Mobile-based maritime cargo contractor Premier Bulk Stevedoring LLC, had followed the federal safety regulations.
Safety breach
According to a 10 March news release from the DOL, OSHA issued citations to the company for two incidences involving serious safety breaches and a repeat infraction.
OSHA allegedly cited Premier Bulk Stevedoring for hazardous loading practices less than two years ago. Jose Gonzalez, the head of the OSHA local office in Mobile, stated that an investigation following this terrible death in September 2022 revealed that the company was once again operating in a hazardous manner.
OSHA investigators also discovered that the business had not made sure the crane driver could see the signalman loading the two tonnes of paper into the ship.
Accident prevention training
According to the announcement, the company received a citation for a breach of a similar nature in December (2020).
OSHA inspectors also issued a citation to the company for the employee’s death after discovering that its supervisors for cargo handling had not completed the mandatory accident prevention training.
According to the press release, Premier Bulk Stevedoring LLC has 15 days following receipt of the citations to comply and pay the suggested $43,750 fine, submit a request to OSHA for an informal discussion, or fight the findings.
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Source: Miami Herald
