Dive Summary:
- The city of Indianapolis has been fined $80,000 for the April 8 death of Thomas Welch, a sanitation employee who was killed while on the job.
- Officials at the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration found five serious, one minor and four knowing violations. Knowing violations are problems that could potentially cause harm or death and the employer was aware of, but were ignored.
- The incident occurred when an employee failed to see Welch in his rearview mirror and backed over him. The driver had neglected to sign off on up to 30 routine safety checklists, which were later falsified when it was discovered the papers were incomplete.
From the article:
In addition to issuing the fines, IOSHA has recommended the Department of Public Works abide by national standards for waste hauler safety.
Two weeks after the accident, DPW fired two supervisors who were accused of falsifying documents connected to the investigation.
The city has requested an informal conference on Sept. 23 to discuss the penalties, said Robert Dittmer, a spokesman for IOSHA. The city has the option of appealing the order to the Board of Safety Review.
