COLORADO SPRINGS, CO –  An employee for Colorado Springs based Lindsay Precast, Inc., was nearly pulverized while performing routine maintenance inside a cement mixer when a co-worker turned the machine on. An investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor found the company’s failure to comply with federal workplace safety standards resulted in the mishap that nearly cost the worker their life. 

Lindsay Precast, Inc., is a concrete manufacturer specializing in precast concrete products. The company has a history of OSHA violations dating back to 2017. 

“Our investigation found Lindsay Precast, Inc., was well-aware they were required to ensure employees used hazardous energy control procedures, yet they failed to implement them,” said OSHA Area Director Chad Vivian. “By sheer good fortune, a worker narrowly avoided much more serious, and potentially, fatal injuries, in an incident that would have never happened if the employer had followed federal requirements to de-energize and lockout the mixer to prevent the machine’s start-up.”

The citations & proposed penalties totalled $203,035 with the company having 15 business days to comply or contest the findings before the independent OSHA Review Commission. 

Read the full story from OSHA.