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A United States-based company has been fined $106,400 (£69,000) after one of its employees was electrocuted whilst working on transformers.

Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that Marreo Travis, who worked at Ferro Magnetics in St. Louis, Missouri, had not been wearing PPE that could have prevented his death.

OSHA also discovered that training had not been provided and safety procedures had not been adhered to. The area director of OSHA in the city of St. Louis, Bill McDonald, commented:

“Companies that operate with high-voltage electricity must train workers to recognise hazards and use proper procedures to prevent electrical shock. No one should die on the job.”

A number of offences were discovered by investigators, including 14 serious and one wilful safety violation. A number of electrical safety hazards were uncovered, along with machines without safety guards, and insufficient protection to prevent machine parts from starting during routine servicing and maintenance.

The company failed to provide PPE for employees and chemicals had not been stored correctly. Industrial trucks, which didn't operate as they should, were also still being used by employees. The company had been given 15 days to comply with the appropriate health and safety measures. Ferro Magnetics could also contest the results of the investigation, or request an informal meeting with the area director of OSHA.

Health and safety legislation is put in place to protect people from serious injury, or even death. PPE is a requirement in positions where a worker's safety may be compromised, like operating with high levels of electricity.

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