OSHA Fines Virginia Terminal Operator in Worker’s Death

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is fining a Virginia terminal operator $7,000 in connection with the December death of one of its employees.

The citation says a machine operator that knocked over a 105-foot light pole that crushed a Norfolk International Terminals worker didn’t get required refresher training after “several” prior crashes.

According to the document obtained by The Virginian-Pilot, OSHA considered that a “serious” violation.

Virginia International Terminals has the right to contest the findings.

Forty-three-year-old dock foreman David Weiland was in his car when the light pole fell on it. A preliminary investigation showed that another worker knocked the pole over with a machine used to move shipping containers.