Federal safety regulators have issued $11,675 in fines stemming from a horrific drill accident that killed a man on a construction site in Aspen Highlands, Colo., according to the Aspen Daily News.
The fines were levied against Hayward Baker, a national construction company, for the Aug. 11 death of Greg Watson, 39, of Minneapolis. The accident took place at La Chamonix Condominiums, a 12-unit complex on Maroon Creek Road.
According to the Aspen Daily News, the fatal accident happened while Watson standing close to a 7-inch drill, which was on a platform near a 200-ton crane.The drill wasn’t working correctly, and was turned off temporarily to be fixed.
But when it was turned back on, a fall-prevention cord that Watson was wearing got caught in the drill. So Watson was “spun” repeatedly until his co-workers got to and hit an emergency button, the Aspen Daily News reported.
Watson was pronounced dead right at the scene.
The work was being done “to improve the bank of Maroon Creek and the safety of residents of La Chamonix,” according to the local paper.
Last month OSHA fined Hayward Baker for three violations relating to a federal law that says employers must give workers “a place of employment which (is) free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serous physical harm to employees.”
The Aspen Daily News said that one of the violations relates to the emergency shut-off button.
Hayward Baker has updated its manual safety procedures since the death of Watson, a heavy-equipment operator who was a native of California who later moved to Minneapolis.
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