Fines Proposed after Workplace Death
According to February 2018 reports from the California Department of Industrial Relations, Sutter Home Winery Incorporated, a Napa wine brand, and Process Cooling International, a cooling company, are currently facing oven $100,000 dollars in potential workplace safety regulations fines following the death of a man from Vallejo who lost his life after falling at the Sutter winery in St. Helena.
The Accident
The accident occurred in May 2017 while 56-year-old Vallejo resident Daniel Mario Colombo had been repairing the cooling system located on the roof of the Sutter winery. Napa County Sheriff’s Department officials said that, while working, Colombo fell a total of 16 feet through a skylight and received fatal injuries.
The Sheriff’s Office, as well as officials from Cal/OSHA, have stated that Colombo was not wearing a proper safety harness when he fell.
Safety Issues
The workplace safety agency reported finding that the area of steel roofing surrounding the skylight Colombo fell through looked dangerously similar to the dirty panels of fiberglass that cover the roof’s skylights.
The agency argues that the fatal accident could have been prevented if guardrails and additional safety equipment had been placed in the area surrounding the skylight. Additionally, agency documents claim that a foreman working with Process Cooling International claimed that the skylights would be covered before the project began, but did not cover them in any way.
Fines
Cal/OSHA has proposed that the winery pay a fine of $22,500 and that the cooling company pay a fine of $70,000 dollars as well as another $18,000 fine for failing to instate a program for injury prevention and not evacuating workers from the site until officials deemed it safe.
Both the winery and cooling companies are appealing to safety fines. However, the appeals have been placed on hold as Cal/OSHA investigators look into the case.
Wrongful Death
When a person loses their life because another party was negligent or did not exercise due care, their family members and dependents are usually eligible to obtain compensation for their losses. While payments can never truly make up for the loss of somebody that you love, the types of damages individuals with wrongful death cases can recover for are various and include emotional damages like loss of consortium and loss of parental guidance.
If you suspect that your loved one’s death was the fault of a negligent party, contacting a lawyer as soon as you can is important. A lawyer with wrongful death experience will be able to advise you on what steps to take and can even prevent liable parties from mitigating their responsibility for the incident.
More by Ed Smith, Vallejo Personal Injury Lawyer
Vallejo Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Vallejo personal injury lawyer. If you or a person you care about has been seriously injured or killed due to the negligence of another party, you may be able to claim compensation. Talk to me at AutoAccident.com, (707) 564-1900, or (800) 404-540 for friendly, free legal advice.
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pic: “workplace safety gear” by casegrfx via CreativeCommons0
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