A Pennsylvania contractor pleaded guilty in federal court Sept. 24 to willfully violating an OSHA regulation resulting in the death of a worker.
Insight Pipe Contracting LLC, a Butler County contracting company, pleaded guilty to violating a federal regulation requiring vehicles or mechanical equipment with elevating structures to maintain 10 feet of clearance around energized power lines.
The company must pay a fine of $20,000 and serve a probationary term of three years under the terms of its plea agreement, according to a Department of Justice news release.
An Insight crew was installing pipe-liner at a worksite April 12, 2018, when a piece of equipment with the features of both a forklift and a crane struck overhead lines as its operator was removing a large roll of liner from a truck.
As the equipment made contact, an employee had his hand on the vehicle’s door and was electrocuted.
Earlier this year, Insight paid a $180,000 OSHA fine for violations stemming from this incident.
