Worker crushed to death by 3,000-pound container, NC officials say. Now company cited
A 49-year-old worker was killed after a 3,000-pound container fell and crushed him in North Carolina, news outlets reported.
Now, the man’s company is facing a $34,000 fine for “serious” safety violations, according to the N.C. Department of Labor.
The company — Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Co. — didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment about the citations on Nov. 22.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague at the Greensboro Brown Summit facility,” P&G told the News & Record around the time of the worker’s death. “The investigation is ongoing, we are working closely with authorities, and offering our full support to the family.”
The case dates back to May 6, when a worker was on the job in Browns Summit, roughly 10 miles northeast of downtown Greenbsoro. At the P&G facility, a stainless-steel tote weighing about 3,214 pounds had been used to move clear gel into a pod, labor officials said.
But the steel container fell from a lift, leaving the worker pinned between the tote and the pod, according to the citation issued earlier this month.
The worker died from injuries related to the incident. P&G officials identified the employee as 49-year-old Montrell Rudd, according to the News & Record and WGHP.
After inspecting the Browns Summit job site, the labor department reported three violations.
Officials reportedly found that the tote wasn’t secured and that the truck that had been lifting it drove up to a worker, putting that person at risk of being hit or crushed. Also, “extreme care was not used when tilting the load forward or backward” on the truck, the labor department said.
P&G was issued a fine totaling $34,502 for its three alleged violations. Companies can be fined up to $14,502 for each serious violation.
“The Labor Department has to take into consideration various factors such as the gravity of the violation, the size of the business, the good faith and cooperation of the employer, and the history of previous violations,” officials told McClatchy News in an email. “The penalties are in no way designed to make up for loss of life.”
The citations were issued on Nov. 2. The company — which had 15 “working days” to respond or pay the fine — has asked for an informal conference in the case, which remained open as of Nov. 22, officials said.
This story was originally published November 22, 2022 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Worker crushed to death by 3,000-pound container, NC officials say. Now company cited."
