Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
(800) 654-4262

© 2024 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Officials Propose Penalties in Alabama Worker Deaths

Two construction workers were killed when the lift equipment they were using fell about 90 feet from a bridge in Montgomery, Alabama. (Photo: WSFA 12 News)
betterroads.com
Two construction workers were killed when the lift equipment they were using fell about 90 feet from a bridge in Montgomery, Alabama. (Photo: WSFA 12 News)

Federal labor officials have issued safety violations to a construction company after two men working on a Montgomery freeway overpass fell to their deaths.

Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday that R.R. Dawson Bridge Co. in Bessemer didn't provide workers near the edge of the bridge with required protection from fall hazards. Two workers fell about 90 feet from the overpass in January.

Labor officials say the company also exposed workers to fall hazards and failed to inspect employee fall protection systems before use. Labor officials have proposed $54,500 in fines for the company.

A message left with R.R. Dawson Bridge Co. was not immediately returned Tuesday.

OSHA's Mobile area director Joseph Roesler says falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.