Employee Crushed To Death By Two Tons Of Cargo While On A Vessel In Florida

According to federal officials, an employee on a ship in Florida was reportedly killed when the vessel swayed with the giant waves, and two tons of cargo reportedly crushed him against a wall when it shifted.

Three employees were reportedly loading five heavy rolls of paper that measured about 7 feet in height into the M/V Weserborg’s cargo hold from a pier with a crane. The tragedy occurred on 11 September 2022, in Panama City, per the US Department of Labor.

An Occupational Safety and Health Administration examination revealed that the worker operating the crane did not have a clear view of the employees in the cargo hold at that time, per the officials.

The 28-year-old individual’s death could’ve been preventable if Premier Bulk Stevedoring LLC, which is a marine cargo contractor from Mobile and the employer, abided by the federal safety protocols, per the DOL.

OSHA cited the firm for two incidents involving serious safety violations and a repeat violation, the DOL declared in a news release dated 10 March.

Less than two years back, OSHA reportedly cited Premier Bulk Stevedoring for unsafe loading activities. An examination into this tragic 2022 (September) fatality found the firm again operating dangerously, the OSHA area office director in Mobile, Jose Gonzalez, mentioned.

OSHA inspectors further learned that the company did not ensure that the crane operator could see the signalman guiding the two-ton paper cargo into the vessel.
In December (2020), the firm was cited over a violation of similar nature, per the release.

OSHA inspectors further cited the firm in connection with the employee’s death as it found its cargo-handling supervisors did not finish up a required accident prevention course.

Premier Bulk Stevedoring LLC has 15 days after receiving the citations to comply and pay the proposed penalty of $43,750, put forward a request to OSHA for an informal conference, or contest the findings, per the release.