A South Dakota helicopter ambulance service was accused by OSHA of retaliating against a whistleblower who reported safety concerns and filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
OSHA investigated after a mechanic filed a complaint against Avera Careflight, a division of Avera McKennan, for terminating their employment.
The agency’s investigation revealed that the company violated the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, and ordered the company to reinstate the mechanic.
Avera was ordered to pay the mechanic more than $30,600 in back wages and $25,000 in damages. The company was also told to remove negative reports from the mechanic’s personnel record.
Mechanic discussed helicopter safety issues with manufacturer
Investigators found that the mechanic had reported concerns regarding the safety of a helicopter on July 21, 2022, and continued to discuss these safety issues with their supervisor and the manufacturer’s national technical representative over a period of several months.
The supervisor reprimanded the mechanic repeatedly during this time for raising concerns and speaking to the technical representative. When the issues went unresolved, the mechanic filed an FAA complaint on Sept. 2, 2022. The mechanic was terminated on Sept. 29, 2022.
“Employees must be able to freely exercise their legal rights regarding workplace safety without fear of retaliation by their employer,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Jennifer S. Rous.
