Georgia Contractor Fined in Death

Nov. 29, 2021

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Mathis Grading for failing to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards and not notifying OSHA of a work-related fatality within the 8-hour required reporting period. The company faces $20,480 in proposed penalties.

Mathis, a Georgia site grading and pipeline contractor, could have prevented the death of a 24-year-old worker who was killed in May after a fork attachment used on a wheel loader dislodged and struck the worker, according to OSHA.

An OSHA investigation determined that when the incident occurred at a work site in Dawsonville, Georgia, the worker held a stake as heavy equipment drove the stake into the ground to install a stanchion for GPS equipment. The worker was transported to a local hospital and died of his injuries.

“Like all employers, Mathis Grading must provide a workplace free of recognizable hazards by identifying and mitigating safety hazards,” said Joshua Turner, OSHA area director in Atlanta-East. “Had established safety instructions outlined in the equipment safety manual been followed, this tragic death could have been prevented.”

Founded in 1985, Mathis Grading Inc. is a family owned and operated site grading and pipeline installation contractor for residential, commercial, and industrial land development.

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Source: OSHA