Monday, October 20, 2008

Tacoma Goodwill fined for safety violations in connection with the death of man with developmental disabilities

From Seattle PI News Source:

Tacoma, WA - The state fined Tacoma Goodwill Industries nearly $50,000 for safety violations that contributed to the death of a developmentally disabled worker.

The 27-year-old man, Nick Miller, was crushed April 15 by a machine that lifts trash into a compactor.

The Tacoma News Tribune reports the Department of Labor and Industries found that Goodwill failed to properly train and supervise disabled workers and failed to make sure the trash-tipping machine had emergency stop controls.

Tacoma Goodwill CEO Terry Hayes disputes the findings and says it will appeal. She says Goodwill has worked with the department in the past and inspectors did not find problems with the trash machine or ask for special accident prevention training for disabled workers.


See also Goodwill fined in death of developmentally disabled worker