The Washington state Department of Labor & Industries and Tacoma Goodwill have reached a settlement in the workplace death of a developmentally disabled worker.
Tacoma Goodwill will pay $13,300 for three violations in the death of 27-year-old Nick Miller. The violations are related to the implementation of its accident prevention program, recordkeeping and the safety features of its box tipping machines.
The company was originally hit with nine violations for a total potential fine of $50,000.
A year ago, Miller was crushed under a hydraulic tipper on Goodwill’s loading dock.
Immediately after the accident, Goodwill made voluntary safety improvements, including placement of lock-out devices on its tipper machines.
There was some confusion over whether Miller, who had the cognitive abilities of a 10-year-old, was authorized to operate the tipper, according to The News Tribune.
Some told officials Miller wasn’t authorized, but others said he was, a statement that was backed up by training records which said it was part of his regular duties.
