Knoxville, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) has fined Rodriguez Paving and Foundation over $42,000 after the death of one of their employees in April.
The incident happened on Leslie Way in Sevierville when 20 year-old Gabriel Rodrigues, of Pigeon Forge, was operating a skid-steer at a construction site. A retaining wall collapsed resulting in Rodrigues falling and rolling down the mountainside in the skid steer, striking his head and body inside the machine. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
At the conclusion of their investigation, TOSHA cited Rodriguez Paving and Foundation for three serious violations. TOSHA determined the employer did not have an employee with a valid certificate in first-aid training available at the worksite, the employer failed to instruct and educate all employees on how to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions, and the employer willfully neglected to maintain a safe working environment free from hazards that could cause death or serious injury.
The investigation report also states that no training had been conducted for the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions.
