The 2016 case of a worker killed by an electric shock while repairing a ceiling light fixture came to a close recently, with an administrative law judge affirming OSHA citations issued to the man’s employer.

The fatality involved a worker who was untrained in electrical safety work practices. The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) judge ruled that Jersey City Medical Center willfully failed to train the employee for the hazardous electrical work he was directed to perform.

The electrical hazards citations issued to the New Jersey company were upheld, as were the $174,593 in penalties proposed by OSHA.

The decision follows a three-day hearing that was held in New York City in April 2018.

"The outcome of this case shows the employer will be held accountable for willfully exposing employees to serious hazards, and the U.S. Department of Labor stands ready to litigate such issues when employers refuse to accept responsibility," said the Department's Regional Solicitor Jeffrey S. Rogoff, in New York.