Company fined for fatal accident in Goshen
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The Indiana Department of Labor has issued a penalty against Indianapolis-based Milestone Contractors LP for a fatal accident that occurred at a construction site in Goshen last fall.
The state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in its notification that the company did not take steps to address the hazard that led to the incident.
On Oct. 16, Rodolfol Nuñez from Decatur was killed while cleaning the augers of a concrete placer machine at the construction site along U.S. 20 in Goshen. Nuñez became caught in between the two augers and suffered fatal injuries.
IOSHA said the concrete placer is normally cleaned after use with a pressure washer and is not locked out or shut off during the process, and there is “no guarding or other means of protection to prevent an employee from being caught between the augers.”
The agency said one feasible method to correct the hazard would be to “provide, train on, and enforce the use of lock-out procedures” and/or to ensure the concrete placer is shut off during the cleaning process.
Milestone Contractors received a $7,000 fine, and was ordered to make the necessary corrections in its operations by May 28.
Inside INdiana Business has reached out to Milestone Contractors for comment but did not immediately receive a response.