Wisconsin Public Radio is reporting that federal agents are fining a Black River Falls-based construction company $105,000 after an investigation found that safety violations resulted in the injury of one worker and death of another during a bridge construction project in the Twin Ports last fall.
The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Lunda Construction for one willful and five serious safety violations. Mark Hysell, the agency's northwest Wisconsin region area director in Eau Claire, said the company showed indifference or intentional disregard for employee safety.
Stanley resident Kelsey Hagenson was killed in the Sept. 21 incident when a worker driving a forklift struck him as he was mixing cement.
"An 18-year-old employee that had only been on the job for three months was killed," said Hysell. "The employer is required to provide training to all of their employees on the types of equipment they are required to operate. In this instance, Lunda did not do that."
Hysell said the employee operating the forklift had worked for the company for 15 years, but did not have proper training on that piece of equipment. The forklift operator also had limited use of his right hand at the time.
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