KILL A WORKER GO TO JAIL
18-year-old dies after he’s pulled into hot asphalt silo, feds say. Company faces fines


IN CANADA WE HAVE THE 'WESTRAY' LAW, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN ENFORCED SINCE IT WAS PASSED.

Kaitlyn Alanis
Wed, May 4, 2022

An 18-year-old construction worker had been on the job for about three months when he was pulled into a hot asphalt silo in Oklahoma City, officials say. He died from related injuries.

The fatal incident on Nov. 2 prompted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to open an inspection at TJ Campbell Construction Co., according to a May 4 news release from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Now about six months later, the Oklahoma-based company is facing $370,347 in penalties.

Federal authorities say TJ Campbell Construction Co.’s “failure to prevent sudden start-up of a conveyor system” contributed to the man’s death as he tried removing debris from the conveyor.

The Edmond-based company did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on May 4.

“A young worker was barely three months on the job when his life was tragically cut short,” said OSHA Area Director Steven Kirby in a news release. “Had TJ Campbell Construction Company provided their workers with the required training on controlling hazardous energy and ensuring proper shutdown before any attempt to remove debris was made, this young man would have ended his workday safely.”

OSHA issued willful citations against the company, saying it failed to “develop and use procedures for controlling hazardous energy when servicing or cleaning the asphalt conveyor system.” The company also did not adequately train its workers on the requirements for controlling hazardous energy, according to the news release.

Willful citations are given when OSHA finds an employer “knowingly failed to comply with a legal requirement (purposeful disregard) or acted with plain indifference to employee safety,” according to the federal department.

Those willful citations are in addition to citations for:

Allowing unguarded pulleys, chain and sprockets in areas where people walk or work,


Not applying energy isolation devices,


Stairways with missing handrails, and


Uncovered holes in floor where people walk and work.

“T.J. Campbell Construction is your premier asphalt and concrete paving contractor,” according to the company’s website. “Operating in central Oklahoma since 1978, we specialize in the turn-key construction of DOT Heavy Highway, street and site infrastructure for commercial developments as well as complete construction services for construction and reconstruction, from city streets to Interstate highways.”

The Duit Holdings subsidiary has 15 business days from when it was notified of the penalties to either comply, request a conference with the OSHA area director or contest the findings.

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