Criminal charges for a crane operator in a co-worker’s jobsite death, legislation to prevent workplace violence in the health care industry and the costs of obesity among the workforce were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

A popular and long-running Oregon music festival turned deadly last summer when two a boom lift tipped, killing two workers. That incident at the Pickathon Music Festival, an annual three-day extravaganza outside of Oregon that has been held every August since 1999, led to a state OSHA investigation and fines for the workers’ employer.

The operator of a crane involved in the death of a worker at an Australia construction site has pleaded guilty to reckless conduct exposing persons to a risk of serious injury or death. Michael Watts entered the guilty plea last week to the offense under the country’s Work Health Safety Act 2011. Watts had originally been charged with manslaughter under the Crimes Act.

The widow of a worker who suffered fatal injuries in a fall has filed a lawsuit against 3M, alleging that the manufacturer’s fall prevention product failed to perform according to representations made by the company. According to news sources, construction worker Walter Burrows died after falling 35 feet in May of 2018 while working on a light-rail project in the Seattle area.

Demand for high-efficiency electrical equipment is steadily increasing. With more electrical equipment to maintain and operate, workers are exposed to numerous hazards every day. One of those hazards is arc flash, or an arc blast, which can have devastating consequences. If there is an incident, the emotional and financial effects can be devastating.

The long-time employee who was killed in an industrial accident last week in New York State died of “trauma,” according to Columbia County Coroner Daniel Herrick, who declined to release further details. Details about the fatal incident itself have also not been released by authorities. It occurred at the ADM Milling Co. flour mill in Greenport on Tuesday morning.

OSHA has cited Aluminum Shapes LLC for workplace safety and health hazards after a crane operator was injured in August 2019 at the aluminum manufacturer’s Delair, New Jersey, foundry. The company faces $169,524 in penalties for these violations.

Two teenage employees working the overnight shift at a McDonald’s in Lima, Peru were electrocuted earlier this month – an incident which has led to a national conversation about workplace conditions at various companies in the country. News reports say Alexandra Porras Inga and Gabriel Campos Zap were electrocuted by a loose cable, possibly while mopping the floor of the restaurant.

An employee of a tree trimming company died in a workplace accident Tuesday morning in Wakefield, Massachusetts. The 34-year-old man, whose name has not yet been released, suffered traumatic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according a statement issued by Wakefield Police Chief Steven Skory, Wakefield Fire Chief Michael Sullivan, and Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.

Investigating a worksite incident— a fatality, injury, illness, or close call— provides employers and workers the opportunity to identify hazards in their operations and shortcomings in their safety and health programs. Most important, it enables employers and workers to identify and implement the corrective actions necessary to prevent future incidents.