On behalf of Castrodale Law, LLC posted in workplace accidents on Friday, November 9, 2018.
Workplace safety is a valuable part of any industry or profession. Accidents can happen, especially in high-risk sectors, but employers owe their workers the best chance at avoiding injury or death.
A pair of former supervisors at an aluminum plant in Youngstown are facing criminal charges, as they are suspected of contributing to a workplace accident and scrambling to cover up their shortcomings after a worker died and another was seriously injured. The problem revolves around a conveyor system that may have posed foreseeable dangers to employees.
Prosecutors state in the indictment that two managers knew the conveyor may have posed safety risks to workers when they moved racks into and out of an industrial oven. When some of the racks collapsed in 2012, they pinned a 21-year-old worker under two tons of aluminum, causing his death. A 19-year-old employee was also severely burned in the incident.
A subsequent investigation by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) led to supposed false statements by the supervisors. The same supervisors may have also pressured employees to lie to the OSHA inspector. As a result, the managers have been charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, as well as obstruction and making false statements to federal investigators. All of the defendants pled not guilty to all charges and are free on bond pending trial.
Victims of workplace accidents and the survivors of employees killed on the job deserve support while recovering from a tragedy. Financial damages, including reimbursement of medical expenses or compensation for pain and suffering, can help families move on. Legal representation can help workers and families work out their options and seek damages.