Manufacturer Fined $50,000 after Crane Knocks Worker off Ladder

A worker was cleaning and painting support beams at a manufacturing facility while standing on a ladder that was propped against a wall. When a co-worker started moving an overhead crane along the perimeter of the building, it knocked the worker to the concrete floor 13-14 feet below. He suffered lacerations to the head and bruising to his body. The MOL found that the worker operating the crane hadn’t been informed another worker was painting in the area. In addition, the crane wasn’t locked out or shut down to prevent its use while the first worker was painting in the area. The manufacturer pleaded guilty to failing to take every precaution for the protection of a worker from the danger of an overhead crane. The court fined it $50,000 [General Kinetics Engineering Corp., Govt. News Release, June 12, 2014].