OSHA is investigating the death of a 21-year old temporary worker who lost his life during his first shift of a new job. The worker was crushed to death while working at the Bacardi Bottling Corporation in Jacksonville, FL in August 2012.
Lawrence Davis was cleaning glass on a palletizing machine when another employed started the machine which in turn crushed Davis. OSHA has given the Barcardi Bottling Corp a total of 12 workplace violations related to the employee’s death. The agency said Bacardi failed to utilize locks and tags on machines to avoid unexpected starts and failure to confirm employees were using proper lockout/tagout procedures. They also issued citations for failing to properly train temporary employees.
Davis was a temporary employee from Remedy Intelligent Staffing which Bacardi was using to fill positions. OSHA officials stated they have seen an increase in untrained workers especially where temporary workers are concerned. There has been an increase in the deaths of those temporary workers not long after starting the new job.
Bacardi has 15 days to address the fines and citations issued by OSHA. The company has a right to appeal. Bacardi released a statement that stated they have already addressed the issues with health and safety matters noted by OSHA in their facility. They stated the company does not agree with OSHAs characterizations but also stated they have reviewed employee training and retraining information to prevent additional kinds of injuries.
