BRAINTREE, Mass. — The employer of a worker who died after being crushed by a forklift at Logan International Airport in August has been cited and fined thousands in penalties in connection with his death.
Oxford Airport Technical Services of Rochester, New York now faces “four serious citations with $46,096 in proposed penalties” for failing to ensure safeguards, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in a statement on Monday.
“Every workplace fatality is tragic, especially when there are well-known safety measures that could have prevented the loss of a person’s life,” OSHA Area Director James Mulligan said in a statement. “In this case, the employer failed to train and certify their forklift operators on critical safety requirements. It’s simply inexcusable.”
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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 mast struck the overhang of the entrance, causing the forklift to tip over, according to OSHA. The operator, who was not wearing a seatbelt, fell to the ground, and the tipping vehicle fatally struck him.
The employee, a 51-year-old Winthrop resident, was taken to a Boston hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said at the time.
OSHA inspectors found that the company failed to ensure the worker wore a seat belt while operating the forklift, exposing him to rollover and crushing hazards. The agency also determined the following:
The forklift’s forks and mast were not raised only as far as necessary to clear the road surface.
All forklift operators were not properly trained and certified.
A damaged forklift was not examined before being placed in service.
A damaged forklift was not taken out of service.
According to OSHA, the man’s death “may have been prevented if his employer, a Rochester, New York-based maintenance firm, had ensured proper safeguards for operating and maintaining forklifts.”
Oxford Airport Technical Services has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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